The Walled Garden
by MoonbeamMadness
Summary: Levy knows she can't bring back the dead. But when is anything ever that simple? Mature content ahead.
1. Prologue

_Prologue_

It was so unbearably cold she almost couldn't stand it. The primal urge to drag herself away from the ice assaulting her, drowning out everything else; but the wet rock was leeching all the warmth from her body on contact alone, leaving her shaking uncontrollably and too weak to move. Her teeth clattered together painfully; shivers so violent she felt like her bones were going to break. She sat in the dark with her knees pulled tightly against her chest because she lacked the strength to do much else. In the distance there were sounds of boots scuffing rock and as they grew louder the sounds of digging grew more hurried.

Levy couldn't see her older sister in the blackness, but she knew she was there, fingernails clawing against rock, trying to reopen the passageway that would lead them into the main caves. The path to their freedom. But the tremors from the castle above had collapsed the ceiling before they could escape. Leaving them trapped with an army of men currently looking for them. So much of the day had been nothing more than a blur to Levy. A horrible dream that she couldn't wake herself up from. She was vaguely aware that Maeve was speaking but was too tired to listen, what did it matter, the elder of the McGardens' was always talking. Too mouthy for a thirteen year old girl, their mother would always say, but Levy was certain she was just teasing. Their parents loved them.

Images flashed across her mind and she recoiled from the searing pain of the memories. She held up her small hands and despite the darkness, she could still see the blood on them. Despite the silence, she could hear the sounds of her mother pleading for her life; hear the sounds the soldiers' swords made when they passed through bone. When they hacked away at her father's already dead corpse. She must have whimpered because her older sibling stopped digging and there was a sudden source of warmth at her side. The cold was a thing that no longer effected her. It was simply there. Dizzy and nauseated, seven year old Levy leaned into her sister. Unable to weep and much too young to understand why the tears wouldn't come.

"Are we going to die?" She asked. It was a concept that even at her age, she was familiar with. Though, she now had so many terrible images to go with it. Death wasn't necessarily the peaceful slumber she'd been told. Sometimes there were screams, and thrashing limbs and terrifying sights that came with it.

"No. I just have a little more to go and then we can fit. It's much too small for anyone else," Her voice didn't waver and Levy was grateful for the lie.

She swallowed and licked her dry lips, tasting salt.

"Maeve? I think I'm bleeding," Her voice came out as little above a squeak. The comment was nothing more than an absent remark, devoid of any kind of fear or pain. If they were going to die anyway, what did it matter beyond a simple curiosity?

Her sister gripped her tightly to her and wept, while Levy sat still, un-moving and numb. The small girl wrapped her limp arms around her sisters waist and smiled into the damp fabric of her tunic. "Don't cry," She whispered.

And she did. Levy felt her eyes begin closing; her body sinking heavily into sleep. Briefly, the thought crossed her mind that she might see her parents again and that made her happy in an odd way. She didn't want to hurt anymore. She didn't want to see anyone else hurt. She wanted to just let go. But something was holding her back. Like an invisible thread that had snagged on something in the living world and refused to let her drift away. That's when she heard Maeve singing to her. A lullaby favorited by their mother. Levy felt the magic wash over her like a bath of warm water. Soothing the aches and the pains, driving out the cold. She opened her eyes and the darkness receded in a halo of ethereal light, briefly allowing her to see the trickle of blood run down from her sister's nose, passed her lips and chin; her eyes fluttering drowsily before they focused again.

The bootsteps that they'd been ignoring for the passed few minutes quickened their pace and Levy could hear their pursuers yelling now. There was a moment of panic that felt like it came out of nowhere, considering the numbness that had preceded it and Levy cried out in terror.

Sweaty, dirty hands pulled her to her feet and dragged her a few steps before pushing her against the smallest crevice in the rock. As tiny as she was, her body just felt enormous in comparison to the gap her sister was trying to squeaze her through. She was never going to fit.

Suddenly the voices were with them and Levy shrieked in sheer agony as her sister's hands became forceful to the point of injury.

"Don't forget that we love you."

Maeve gave one more almighty heave, popping something in her sister's shoulder and suddenly Levy was falling through the gap in the stone.

With desperation born of terror, she scrambled to her cut feet and ran as fast as she could, her dislocated arm clutched uselessly to her chest. Unable to remember the sound of her sisters voice, beyond the screams she left behind. The last sound she could remember Maeve making.


	2. Chapter 1

The earth shook underfoot as dust and rock exploded from behind a bloodied Gajeel. A small limp Lily cradled under his left arm, his right having formed an iron shield to protect him from the worst of the failing stone. The Dragon Slayer stumbled on some loose gravel; his vision doubling with the blast. Iron hands scuffing on the jagged rock. He made it about twenty feet from the cavern opening before collapsing to his knees. Still not entirely sure they were out of danger but between the dust he'd inhaled and the beating he'd taken, he wasn't able to get any farther.

He set the Exceed down on the ground and checked him over. There was a large open wound on his thigh that hadn't quite looked so life threatening when he'd been eight foot tall and made of solid, carved muscle. In his current state the wound was bleeding profusely; Gajeel could see white in the gash that could only have been bone. He clamped the area above the injury with an iron tourniquet that stymied the bleeding significantly. Lily groaned in pain and the Dragon Slayer let out the breath he'd been holding. His friend was tough. He was going to pull through this.

The realization that the worst had passed did nothing good for Gajeel. The relief he felt at the idea that he was alive and Lily was alive, gravely wounded, but still breathing, should have brought him some measure of calm, but it didn't. A small cough from behind him dragged him crashing back to the reality of the current situation and he turned a hate filled glare on the source of the day's brush with death and destruction. Wide brown eyes shone with the tears she'd no doubt shed when she uttered her apology, but Gajeel didn't want it. He wanted so much from her right now. An explanation. A justifiable reason not to pound her into the dirt. _A pint of her blood;_ which was about what Lily had lost when she'd almost gotten them killed. Purposely triggering a trap so she could get her hands on it. His eyes trailed an objectionable glare to the tome that was still clutched in her bleeding fingers. _All for that fucking book!_

 _"_ Is he going to be okay?" She asked him, her voice barely above a whisper. At the heart of it, Gajeel knew the woman would probably have cut off her own hand before she'd have willingly hurt any of her guild mates, but like he knew that, he also knew that good intentions meant absolutely squat when you took risks with other people's lives.

"You fucking _knew_!" He jabbed a finger at her still heaving chest and snarled the words. The accusation hung heavy between them. "That's why you asked _us_ on this fucked up jaunt instead of dickless and his friend," His voice almost broke. "Is Lily really that expendable to ya?" He asked, genuinely curious as to just how much she'd known before she'd set that trap off, freeing the book.

"I wasn't thinking, I'm _so sorry,_ " She dropped to her knees, taking off her headband, and after applying some antiseptic to it from her satchel, wrapped it around Lily's still oozing wound. Tears were now opening staining her dirty face. Guilt wracking every square inch of the expression she wore. Something occurred then to the Dragon Slayer that he hadn't even considered and the small, tiny quantity of pity he felt for her was set alight in the white hot fires of rage.

"This wasn't a job, was it?" She looked up to him, brow crinkled in an emotional pain that Gajeel suddenly wanted to make a physical agony. "This...this was for _you_. The book was for _you_. There was _no fucking client_ ," The words came up and out of his mouth like acid. They burned him. Inside and out. He tasted bile with the effort he made keeping his hands at his side and not choking the life out of her. "Gimme that fucking thing!"

Levy had set the book down to wrap Lily's wound and with the look that followed Gajeel's comment she snatched it back up defensively before he could even reach for it.

"You weren't doing it for free. I had the money," She reasoned, weakly. Though she knew very well that that wasn't what mattered. She'd lied about the client. She'd lied about just how dangerous the job was. She'd put them, their lives, at risk. Lily had gotten hurt and it had been all her fault. She was rotting away inside; there was something truly terrible festering at her core; to have done something so horrible to her friends, her _family._ Especially to Gajeel. Of all the people in the guild that really could have done without the treachery, there were few like him. He'd begrudgingly come to them because they'd offered him the kind of loyalty and love that he'd never been able to find at his last guild. She'd acted no better than anyone in Phantom.

She reached out a tentative hand to brush some debris out of Lily's whiskers, but Gajeel slapped her hand out of the way before it could make contact.

"Don't touch him," He snapped, and she blanched, paling several significant shades lighter at the stark hostility. Gajeel felt a sliver of the venomous man he'd once been, crawl back out of the blackness. "Do yourself a _favor..._ _shrimp_ , and forget about the guilt trip. You're no better than scum," She was visibly shaking. "So, you go take your little book and do whatever it is you're gonna do, and if you even _look_ at me or Lils again, even _sideways_ , I'll end you," He whispered. Expressionless and solemn. Levy had grown up in the guild. She knew better than to doubt a Dragon Slayer at their word.

She swallowed each iota of self-loathing and pain, and tried to make herself an unreadable mask, but it cost her every ounce of strength she possessed to hide behind an empty face. On knees soaking in the blood of her friend, she remained long after Gajeel had plucked a still unconscious Lily up, disappearing into the trees, in the direction of the nearby town. While the sun was still setting she finally found the power to stand. She looked down at the book in her hands. It had cost her so much already and even though she _knew_ it would cost her _so much more_ , if she turned back now it would all be for absolutely nothing.

The red letters adorning the front of 'The Walled Garden' may have looked like simple leather, weathered and pressed decades passed, but she knew the truth; they were stained with blood. If she could do nothing else, though, she could ensure that it was with her own.

Notes

This is the first official chapter of my new story, which I decided I couldn't actually wait to get writing. I've already got draft chapters written up so I know where I'm going and the temptation was just toooo much. As you may have gathered, this is a different beast entirely to everything I've written before. You might have noticed that Gajeel and Levy aren't swooning over each other at the moment. See 'current mortal enemies'. Everything I write is M but this is going to particularly unpleasant places and it might end up being a particularly slow burner.


	3. Chapter 2

The drugs kept Lily asleep for the most part of his treatment and Gajeel couldn't quite wrap his head around the feeling of utter helplessness he felt at the sight of the Exceed's sleeping face. Pantherlily was a warrior. He was a General; one that had seen more years than Gajeel could have even guessed. He knew that Exceeds' aged differently; slower. They had a very unique experience when it came to the passing of time; years passing like weeks to them. It made Lily's age almost impossible to determine. And it left a very weird, altogether unsettling sensation with the Dragon Slayer. Gajeel wasn't used to the kind of responsibility that came with caring for someone else, forget about the fact that it was usually Lily watching out for him. _He_ was the reckless one.

The towns healer, an old woman by the name of Cara, luckily, was a good one. Most people who were unfamiliar with an Exceed, might have turned Gajeel away if he'd of shown up at their door clutching a bleeding creature the size of a cat like it were an infant. Lily was doubly fortunate that not only was the town's only medic familiar with the rather unusual race, but had been more than willing to help them. She reset the broken bone in his small leg and sutured the bleeding blood vessel and muscle. When she was done, she set the leg loosely in the tiniest of splints; really, it had been comical until Gajeel realized that it would have been made for infants. A sobering thought that made his insides squirm unpleasantly. When it was all done and she was satisfied the worst was over, she let the Exceed sleep off the potions. She very clearly knew what she was doing; her work was methodical and exact. She explained every stage of the treatment to Gajeel before she did anything; calmly aware of the Dragon Slayers agitation and mood.

The woman kept to herself and left Gajeel alone in the back room with Lily in unsupervised silence. Periodically she would check in as he dozed in and out at his friend's bedside. The Dragon Slayer had closed his eyes for minute only to open them and find some soup and bread on the end table for him. The food tasted good but it sat uneasily in the bottom of his stomach for hours after he ate it. Like a solid stone he couldn't digest. A whole day had passed with the woman not even uttering a word to him before she finally chose to speak.

"Your other friend hasn't come back yet?"

His eyes snapped open at the question. Irritated and sleepy, he fixed the woman with a pointed look. A warning that the topic she was currently raising, out of the absolute blue, to boot, wasn't one he was comfortable with right now. They'd purchased some supplies from her before their trip out to the cave and Levy made small talk like she always did. Clearly the woman had remembered. Maybe assuming the worst when only two had turned up at her door.

"No. And she's not my friend," He ground out.

The woman tutted unhappily.

"A man like you should be happy to have a woman like her, look at you the way she does," She remarked scathingly; closing the door behind her and leaving him alone again to his own turbulent thoughts.

Gajeel narrowed his eyes, his face twisting into a grimace as he tried holding in the snarl that was fighting its way out of him. The old woman had saved Lily's life and asked absolutely nothing in return. He sucked in a deep breath to calm himself. Her comment shouldn't have bothered him like it did, and he knew it. Despite all the logical parts of his brain telling him his behavior had been justified. That no one had deserved his words more than Levy had. Now that he'd had a chance to decompress his thoughts, there was still the smallest niggling twinge of guilt in the back of his mind. Things were far simpler when he was a scumbag. The very notion made him laugh.

"Gaj...eel?"

Instantly the man leaned forward, elbows resting on the bed. Lily stirred, coming to. Face contorted in a frown as he slowly came to realize just how much pain he was in. Small eyes squinted against the lights surrounding the bed.

"How're you feelin'?" Gajeel asked Lily quietly, passing him some water. Hoping for a little conversation with the Exceed before the old woman came back and began fussing over him.

"Like I was hit by a train made _entirely_ of rock," Lily grinned, eyes closing briefly again as he grew accustomed to the agony that now appeared to be his default waking state. He propped himself up on his elbows and looked down at his leg frowning. "Well, that's _new,"_ He sighed and let himself fall limply back onto the bed.

"Yeah, very almost didn't make it," Gajeel tried to make himself seem casual but he couldn't wipe the somber tone from his voice.

Lily openly smiled at him. Flashing him a wide, toothy grin before closing his eyes.

"I'd like to say that this is the first time I've woken up in a bed with a limb in splint and the prospect of several months rehabilitation, but... it isn't," He smirked, deviously. "Though, my nurses are _usually_ more attractive, Gajeel. You should work on your appearance a little. Adds to the overall beside manner," Lily quirked one eye open, mocking him.

The Dragon Slayer laughed loudly, the tension in the room breaking.

"Yeah, yeah, prettier than you, cat," He countered halfheartedly.

Lily burrowed a little deeper into the comforter he was resting on top of. With his current size the regular single bed looked enormous. His small body sinking thickly into it.

"You should leave the wake ups to Levy, in future, Gajeel. That's a much nicer sight to wake up...to..." At the look on Gajeel's face, Lily panicked. "LEVY!" He half yelled, jutting up in the bed. His wings appearing though they lacked the magic to do more than twist him in the comforter. His breath catching in his chest as he suddenly realized the small woman's scent was absent. The Dragon Slayer picked him out of the material and set him down, holding up his hand.

"Relax, that stupid bitch is _fine_. Probably halfway back to Magnolia by now," He ground out. Lily's expression hardened at the man's language. Gajeel had a great number of pet names for the guilds shortest woman, but he'd never heard him speak about her in such a vulgar, disrespectful way.

"What did you do, Gajeel?" The Exceed's accusation was open and direct. It was one of the great things about Lily. He didn't mince his words or dance around his questions. But it was a double edged sword when it was something the Exceed wanted to know and a topic Gajeel really didn't want to speak about. The Dragon Slayer bristled. He didn't like being put on the backfoot quite so easily. Of course, sweet little Levy and big bad Gajeel; it had to be something he did. Woman wasn't even there and she was still causing him problems.

"I did absolutely fucking nothin'," He growled out defensively and Lily's eyebrows both shot up in disbelief.

"You see, now I know you're lying; even _you_ didn't believe that," Lily rubbed his face in exasperation. "So, tell me, what _did you do_?" He asked again.

"I just told her to fuck off. That's _it_ ," He reasoned lamely but the Exceed looked unimpressed. "Hey, she fucking _lied_ about there being a client, and set off that fucking trap on purpose. You were bleeding out all over the place and I was mad as hell, alright?"

Lily actually snarled at Gajeel. Teeth bared in such a puzzling look of frustration that it wiped all traces of cognitive thought from the Dragon Slayer's mind. The Exceed clenched his fists in agitation.

"You knew?" Gajeel bit out, stunned.

" _Yes_. You _didn't_?" He asked, desperately. "Oh _please_! Levy is many things, including, but not limited to being Fairy Tail's most inexperienced liar, Gajeel," He sighed miserably. "I thought you'd realized. It was _glaringly_ obvious. But I figured if she was keeping her identity a secret, there was good reason to," He paused throwing Gajeel a glare. "For a mage everyone believes is inherently weak, I wouldn't imagine she'd find it easy having to ask for help."

"Oh, yeah. Poor Levy. And the trap she set off?" Gajeel was rapidly deflating but he tried hiding it.

"It was stupid and reckless but..." That single word made the Dragon Slayer's blood boil. Gajeel was annoyed now for a different reason. Namely that it appeared Lily wasn't even remotely angry at her. " ...it was a _mistake_ , Gajeel. Nothing more than that," Gajeel scoffed and threw himself backwards in his seat. Arms hanging by his side, head tipped backwards over the top of the chair. He groaned miserably.

"You could have stayed sleepin' and I'd have been fine stayin' angry, Lily," He muttered more to himself than anyone. In the next room they heard the front door open and the old woman shuffle back into the house.

The Exceed sat himself up and wiggled his toes experimentally. The digits responded. He hadn't lost any movement or feeling. It wasn't nearly his worst injury. Not even close.

"If we hadn't have gone with her, she might not be alive right now. When that sinks into that thick skull of yours, you'll realize we got off lucky. My leg will heal."

Gajeel had vaguely become aware minutes previously, that he'd have to work out some sort of an apology to her when they got back to the guild. Lily would bug him about it until he just got it over with. It wasn't his strongest area. He thought back to what he'd said to her and he wished for a single second he'd held it in, because how do you apologize for something like that? At least when he'd beaten the crap out of her and Shadow Gear it had been a _job_. He honestly hated the woman. She was a complication in his otherwise simple life that he could have done without. It crossed his mind to just let the threat stand. If she kept her distance from them, it would definitely improve things, but he knew Lily's code of ethics would never let him slide on something like that. He ran a hand slowly through his hair and pulled on the strands. The pain helped him relax. He felt far from fucking sane at the moment.

When Lily was well enough to travel, Gajeel and him set off back to the guild. Wendy would probably be able to speed the Exceed's healing along and drive down the months of recovery he was undoubtedly facing. The Dragon Slayer had absolutely no expertise when it came to judging these things but Lily seemed to know more about it than he would have originally guessed.

The guild hall was pretty rowdy for ten in the morning when they finally arrived home. People crowded round Lily, asking him how he was and other mundane questions that made Gajeel roll his eyes and long for alcohol. It was so busy in their general vacinity that it took them almost half a day, between trips with Wendy to Porlyusica and meeting with Makarov, to realize that Levy hadn't returned before them. It was another day later, and another trip back to the caverns with Natsu, before they discovered a cold trail heading in the opposite direction of the train to Magnolia. Miles of fading tracks heading away from the guild. By the end of the week, her apartment still sitting empty, Gajeel doubted she was ever actually coming back.

He wasn't entirely sure how he felt about it, cause for once he'd gotten exactly what he'd asked for, and that just felt like the punchline of some terrible joke.


	4. Chapter 3

The fair weather had turned as sour as his fellow guildmates' opinions of him. He'd expected as much, although, just how much it had effected him, left him physically reeling. Almost punch drunk. He'd had a tough time trying to crawl out from under the almost crushing weight of his Phantom Lord persona. Any headway it seemed he'd made, had started coming undone within hours of her disappearance being known. By the time it started going round that they'd argued before she left the guild, public opinion of him was at an all time low. It struck a deep, tender spot to realize that what they thought of him, mattered, even in some small way. Even Juvia, who'd probably been the only person in the world to vouch for him when he'd least deserved it, regarded him coolly. The disappointment in her eyes was even worse than abject hate. Hate he could deal with. But she'd expected better of him. There was a heavy air of unspoken accusation in the guild that he'd driven out one of Fairy Tail's most beloved members. The looks he received from some of them made him feel like he was something putrid that had crawled out from underneath a rock. He wasn't the most sociable of people, but even the people that he would have considered friends had chosen to give him a wider than normal birth.

Makarov was the hardest to read. As guildmasters went, he was relatively content to let the majority of problems work out themselves. Most stuff generally did on its own without interference. And with Mira and Erza around, there was little in the way of daily management that required more than the occasional signature or apology. But underneath the facade of complacency there was a ruthlessness that Gajeel could recognise. It sang to him on an almost primal level. This was a man that was capable of just about anything with the right motivation. After it was determined that Levy had left the guild and that he'd had a hand in that, Gajeel started to see what Jose had been afraid of. Why he'd avoided direct confrontation with the wizard saint. The old man's words when he'd invited him to join Fairy Tail had been a warning he'd failed to take proper heed of.

The look he was currently giving Gajeel made the Dragon Slayer nervous. It made his skin prickle and goosebump. A creeping feeling crawl up his spine like a thousand cold spider legs. He kept his face impassive, because he knew the old man was angry. He'd seen what happens to the enemies of Makarov Dreyar.

He'd been ushered into the back room by Erza who threw him a withering glance before closing the door, sealing him in alone with the Guildmaster. Gajeel feigned indifference, but the knot in his stomach and the guilt in his heart were battling it out underneath the surface.

The old man wiped a hand over his tired face and the anger faded, ever so slightly. Enough for Gajeel to rethink his presence.

"Don't worry about being the reason she left," Makarov paused so Gajeel could understand him clearly. "Simply put, you're not, " Gajeel gave him a confused look. Was that not why the old man had wanted him here? Was this not to decide his punishment? "Every member of Fairy Tail could stand out in the street cursing her name, and Levy wouldn't abandon them. Its truly one of her most beautiful and _foolhardy_ qualities," He gave a pained, humorless laugh.

"Then why am I here?" The Dragon Slayer asked.

"The Walled Garden..." The old man's face softened slightly, his voice had trembled, almost imperceptably and Gajeel felt himself almost holding his breath, waiting for the knife to sink in. "Would you believe me if I told you that that book is responsible for so many deaths and unnatural disasters that the last copy the Council got their hand on, one of three, they publicly burned? Because they believed it was evil," He intoned carefully, quietly, as though afraid someone would overhear them there in his empty office. "People _cheered_ , Gajeel,"He finished with.

"Great. So what would she want with somethin' like that?" Gajeel had had this conversation over and over again with the voices in his head, so many times that he almost lost focus when it looked like Makarov was finally going to give him an answer the voices couldn't.

"Honestly, my boy, I don't know," His face grew serious again. "I...have some worrying suspicions, but my main concern is not what she's trying to do with it, but what'll happen to her when the Council finds out she's on the run with the last known copy,"

Gajeel visibly straightened in his seat.

"What? They'd really lock her up just fer havin' it?"

Makarov stood and leaned forward over his desk.

"No, my boy, they would _kill_ her," He deadpanned and Gajeel blanched. There were cold fingers of something horrible twisting in his gut.

"What does the book do, that they'd kill over it?" The Dragon Slayer wasn't entirely sure he wanted the answer to that question. If simply possessing the book was a death sentence, then even knowledge of its existence was a calculated risk.

"There was a wizard once by the name of _Calus Vigna Sept,_ " The name looked like it left a foul taste in the old man's mouth and Makarov poured Gajeel a drink; sitting down on top of his desk so they were eye level. He took a long, slow sip and Gajeel did the same. Welcoming a little moisture in his suddenly dry mouth. "He believed there was a void space between our world and the others like Edolas. A place where energies from the individual worlds collide. He called this place the _dark well_. It was his aim to tap into this space between worlds and draw power from it," Makarov swallowed. "...and it was his belief that the power that gathered in this void was fueled by the suffering, and torment, of all living beings. Because according to him..." Makarov laughed ruefully. "...that was the only constant in the Universe. So long as things exist, they will suffer. And only suffering was infinite."

Gajeel downed his drink and Makarov promptly poured him another one.

"The Walled Garden is a key that opens a door that should never be opened. And Levy is now in possession of one of those keys,"

Gajeel knew where this was going. He scoffed.

"And you want me to track her down and destroy the book?"

"Yes,"

Gajeel grit his teeth. Suddenly angry with the man. Why couldn't he just be left alone. Why couldn't the man just kill him, or toss him out. Why was everything at the stupid guild made so complicated? Why did it have to involve _her_? He'd have never even taken the job with her if Lily hadn't pushed him into it.

"Why the hell does it have to be me?" He growled out. For a moment he didn't care who he was speaking with. This wasn't _fair_. Natsu was just as good a tracker as him. Why did the burden have to fall with him? Why?

"You already know my reasons," Was all Makarov said and it was like a cold slap to Gajeel's face.

Because he did know. Because he needed to make things right. Because Natsu was loud and this needed to be quiet. Because despite all the terrible things he'd done to her; all the _horrible_ things he'd said to her. Levy McGarden, at the end of the day, would still be in love with him.

And there was the true, unabashed source of the shame he felt. The reason Juvia looked at him with such utter disappointment. Why Lily was still so agitated with him, two weeks on.

Makarov didn't give him a chance to respond, simply sliding an envelope across the table. A single train ticket and some money, presumably for expenses, peeking out from between the folds of paper.

"A small blue haired woman broke into a private vault yesterday in Darmen and stole a manuscript. There was a scuffle with one of vault guards who wounded her and she took off on foot, so there should be a trail. Train leaves in an hour,"

Gajeel took the envelope and told himself that it was just another job. Just like any other mission. It was the only thing he could do to keep his thoughts clear enough to focus on the job at hand. Capture the girl, destroy the book. But he already knew enough to know it wasn't going to be as easy as he made it sound in his head.


	5. Chapter 4

It was more than a _scuffle_. She'd broken the guard's leg after he'd _shot_ her. Not shot _at_ her. Actually hit her. It had been a clean bullet; through and through. The small hole in the back wall of the house was framed by a large rust colored splatter that Gajeel had been able to identify as her blood from the _road; t_ he scent was detectable for miles along the obscenely long driveway up to the expensive estate home. The Dragon Slayer could see the red stained leaves marking her clumsy escape into the woods.

While it seemed she hid her guildmark, she had broken a guy's leg. That was pretty reckless. And it appeared to be the new trend. Troubling though it was, the very thought made Gajeel laugh. The limb was in such a state they'd had to put pins in it. She must have been either desperate or very pissed off. Bullet holes probably covered both, in Gajeel's mind. He'd been shot enough times to know the aggravation.

The home owner was still talking behind him. Something about the age of the manuscript and if Gajeel needed a better description. The Dragon Slayer was just too focused on the quantity of blood he was able to pick up. She wasn't exactly large enough to get away with losing quite so much.

"I ain't here to retrieve your fuckin' papers," Gajeel growled out as the man behind him sputtered.

"...wait, what?" He asked confusedly. Was that not why a guild member had turned up a day after his theft? "But you're here from the guild I contacted?" He mumbled. Gajeel ignored him, moving off toward the trees. Carefully checking her tracks. She was weighed down on one side, her satchel, and from the limp in her run, she'd been clutching her left shoulder. She was right handed so he would still have to contend with the possibility of rune traps. If he fell into one of those, he doubted he'd be getting out of it. He'd need to be watchful of where he put his feet and any places where her scent was stronger, or she stopped, was a potential danger. If she wasn't moving, she could be writing. And he knew enough about her skills to know that was where the danger lay.

"You heard me," The Dragon Slayer grunted before taking off into the trees, out of sight. The manuscript she took didn't concern him. The guards broken leg. The guild's reputation. None of those were his job right now.

She'd made it close to a mile before she'd had to stop and treat the wound. In his head he could see her hunkered down in the dirt, applying bandages and trying to clean it in far from sanitary conditions. There'd been a lot of used bloodied gauze on the ground but he could see that she'd walked away with less of a limp than when she'd stopped. Although definitely slower.

He followed her trail, cautiously, for a number of days as she made her way to her final destination. At one point she'd stopped, probably a combination of physical stress and her half treated gunshot wound, and Gajeel found himself less than a half a day behind. However, her tracks must have crossed at some point and he'd lost his advantage doubling back to find the right trail. But he was close. When she got where she was going, he'd be on her in a day. Maybe less. He felt the ground slope upward and with his map he wagered that wherever that was, it was probably in the mountains.

He fished his coat out of his gear and sent up a small prayer to anyone who was listening that the weather would hold, because this time of year the snow would be especially thick and the likelihood of freezing to death in a blizzard was exceptionally high.

It was starkly apparent that no one was listening, or even worse, someone was laughing, when about two hundred feet up the rocky mountain path after her, it started to snow. Heavily. The wind cutting through his coat like it was made of paper. His iron limbs felt like lead instead of flesh as the evening dragged on. Compounding the physical effort of fighting the wind, he was also expending magical energy to keep his fingers and toes in iron form so they didn't fall off. The knowledge that he was closer to her than he'd originally thought was the only thing that spurred him on; the Dragon Slayer fighting harder than ever against the wind.

The trail looped around the mountain and evened out on a plateau, further north. He saw it then, the ruins. No doubt in his mind that that was her destination. Perched against the rock face, the crumbling facade offered at least some shelter from the elements. Whether she was actually there or not, it was now his destination as well. He could barely wrap his mind around how the woman was still alive at this point. The injury or weather alone should have killed her. Then again, they were Fairy Tail after all. There was really no tougher guild out there.

Through the haze of white, he could see a light emanating from a small room passed the main doors. The front wall had long since fallen down and the flurries were drifting in on what would have once been an ornate marble floor of a large entrance hall. Now broken with rubble; weeds growing up through the cracks in the places sheltered from the storm. It was a stark reminder of how little time cared about wealth or position. Everything returned to the earth eventually.

He moved quietly toward the light. The door was long since gone, having become nothing more than splinters, the pieces of which she was burning. Passing silently through the archway he could see that she was crouched down, out in the open, in front of the small fire cooking what his nose greedily identified as snow hare. He felt the heat on his face and his skin flushed with the power of it. Warmth embraced him and he let out a soft, almost imperceptible sigh as feeling started returning to his limbs.

The noise was so faint, it would have been tough for a Dragon Slayer to hear it over the roaring of the winds outside, but Levy did. So tightly wound, so on edge that not even Gajeel slipped by unnoticed. She stood so fast he barely had time to recognize that she was moving, and her hand whipped out in his direction; a solid script iron chain shooting from her fingertips, straight for his face. But this was all before she'd seen who it was she was facing. Her eyes widening when they locked with his unimpressed red gaze. No one in their right mind would use iron against an Iron Dragon Slayer. By the time she'd realized her mistake it was already too late, his hand had caught the end of the chain and when he yanked it, the force pulled her off her feet and careened her into the wall. Her tender back colliding with the unforgiving stone. She let out a pained scream. Born of injury and frustration.

"Why'd it have to be you?" She hissed, propping herself up with one good arm. Her left still in it's makeshift sling.

Gajeel huffed.

"Been saying that all week, Shorty," He inclined his head to the neat stack of possessions set carefully on the woman's bedroll. Methodically organized. The only real sign that the old Levy was still in there somewhere. The troublesome book in question, perched carefully on the top. "This it?" He asked. She didn't respond, only glared. The Dragon Slayer took that as a positive. Scooping up the text he glanced only briefly at it's cover before he cast it in the fire. The flames surging upwards making the shadows dance about the room.

"You can't destroy it like that. You wouldn't even be able to tear out the pages," She spat the words at him and he drew back from her a little. Momentarily stunned that this was the same woman he'd come to know back at the guild. The one that was always smiling. Always to eager to make someone else's life easier. Or their day a little brighter. Now dirty faced and wild eyed, she looked more like a cornered animal than the woman she'd been. The glare she was giving him left an aching in his chest he couldn't quantify. She'd never once looked at him like that. Not even while he was pinning her and her friends to a tree, half-dead. He swallowed any feelings he had on it. This would just make this job easier. That's what he told himself. Looking back at the book in the fire, Gajeel shook his head with a half snarl. She was right, the blasted thing wasn't burning. Wasn't even singed. It would have to come back with her. Makarov would know what to do with it.

"Doesn't change much. Soon as the storm clears, you _and_ that fucking book are comin' with me," He growled out.

The situation dragged a begrudging laugh out of Levy.

"You're _kidnapping_ me?" She squeaked in disbelief. Of all the people to have been sent, it had to be Gajeel, didn't it? Of course he would skip the asking nicely end of things and go straight to force, to get her back to the guild. Her other guildmates would have pleaded with her to see reason. They'd have tried to talk her out of whatever she was there to do, first. Truthfully, her resolve was a frail thing these days. If he'd have tried to talk her out of it, he might of even succeeded. As it stood, all he was convincing her of was her own idiocy concerning the affections she'd extended him.

"I'm savin' yer miserable life," He snarled and she recoiled. Pain etched on her features, recalling the last memory she had of him before she set out on this doomed little mission. She really wished she could hate him. After all, she hated herself. Hate was so _easy_. And he was such an _asshole_. But she still couldn't do it. She couldn't even bring herself to _try_. She wished she could cut him out of her life. Burn the wound closed. But there he was standing in front of her. Fate having thrown him at her again. Every single time, more unfortunate than the last.

The Universe had a sick sense of humor.

"It's not yours to save," She ground out, defeated.

She got to her feet and hobbled her way back to the fire. There was no point fighting right now. She wasn't in any position to win and neither of them would survive going back out in the blizzard. She nudged the book out of the fire with the toe of her boot and moved her dinner out off the flames. Despite having already lost her appetite.

The Dragon Slayer had moved to the wall and dragged a finger through the fresh bloody print she'd left against it.

"It is this time," He muttered to himself. He huffed. "That's gonna need to be stitched," He remarked louder, so she could hear, rubbing the fresh blood between his fingers; pointing at her shoulder. There was an odor to the red liquid that he couldn't say was infection just yet, but it wasn't too far from it. The bullet hole needed treatment.

"It's fine. I can take care of myself," She snapped at him. Wincing, she took her arm out of its sling and reached around to check the opening on her back, over her shoulder. She grit her teeth in mild horror at the quantity of blood that came back on her hands. It shouldn't have still been bleeding like it was so long after the fact. She threw a glare at Gajeel. Who watched her, face impassive. His eyes flicked to the cooked hare.

"That doesn't make what I said, not true," He smirked and Levy felt her face flush with irritation.

" _Fuck off!_ Stupid Jerk!"

She turned her back to him in anger and Gajeel was happy she didn't see his eyebrows jump to his hairline at her choice language. While she changed the dressing, he tore a leg from her dinner and a few links from the iron chain. While he ate, he examined her. The wound looked worse than he'd originally thought it would. She was a slender individual and the bullet had _shredded_ her on its exit. Luckily, the position was too high to have hit her lung and it probably missed bone by less than a half an inch. If _even_ by that. Levy knocked back a potion from her satchel after replacing the bandage. Her hand shook for a moment after drinking it and she dropped the empty bottle while tremors racked her suddenly frail body. It rolled a few feet in Gajeel's direction. Enough for him to see the label.

Painkiller, anti-inflammatory and healing accelerator in one, but it explained the temper and the shakes. It also had a come down that was gonna hurt when she ran out, but the potion was probably the only reason she hadn't died climbing the mountain. She applied even more gauze to the wound, packing it tightly, and gingerly slipped her arm back into the warmth of her clothing. She didn't turn to look at him, instead laying down and curling her knees to her chest defensively. Gajeel thought he heard a sob but he couldn't be certain. She looked so vulnerable that for a moment he pitied her. Curled into a protective ball she was either trying to keep something in, or the world out. Those were things he understood.

Gajeel ripped a few more links from her chain and took a seat closer to the fire. He tossed a few more pieces of wood into the flames and let himself close his eyes, though he knew he wouldn't be sleeping. Hopefully the storm would pass soon and they could leave. It wasn't going to be easy getting her back to the guild. But fortunately, Makarov had chosen someone with more than a little real life experience in kidnapping.

* * *

Notes

I think I'm possessed writing this story. I literally can't stop myself. Hope you're enjoying it so far. I've certainly been enjoying writing it.

All my reviewers and followers so far, you guys are so absolutely amazing. And the chapter lengths are going to vary a little. Just where the breaks fall I reckon. There's going to be a little more from Levy's perspective next chapter but I'm trying not to give _too_ much of the story away just yet. As you can probably guess already this is gonna be a bit of a rocky relationship.

If you've a minute, let me know what you think!

Moonbeam


	6. Chapter 5

When Levy woke up next, she was cold. But not the kind of cold that could be explained by the snow outside, or the fact that she'd somehow managed to shed her coat during her fitful sleep. No. Her insides felt as though they'd been replaced by ice. A cold so staggering it hurt her to breath. The muscles in her chest felt tight and stiff. Her breathing coming in tiny rasps. She tried to move, but her arms and legs refused to budge. They wouldn't obey her. She lay there, blinking stupidly and trying to work out what could possibly be wrong with her. She pulled against the invisible, intangible restraints holding her immobile and felt herself panic. Her heart rate was skyrocketing beyond what her body seemed capable of dealing with. Blood pounding in her ears.

She somehow managed to focus her sight on Gajeel but spots clouded her vision the longer she stared. The Dragon Slayer had propped himself upright against an overturned cabinet, arms crossed tightly across his chest. His eyes were closed and his breathing was even, but Levy knew the likelihood of him actually being asleep was slim. He barely did more than doze on missions. She felt herself begin shaking more violently; the muscles in her legs and arms and back had begun to spasm uncontrollably.

"Gaj...eeeel!" Her voice shook, she could barely even make any sound at all and the thought that she was actually going to die struck her so hard it made tears prickle in her eyes. Her voice was barely audible and Gajeel didn't stir. She closed her eyes and swallowed the lump in her throat.

"Please...please, Gajeel?" She almost hiccuped with relief when she saw him stir. One eye cracked open lazily, she could see the snarled question on his lips before he'd even come round fully, but it died when he saw her. He bolted from his spot. She let her eyes close; smiling despite herself. Even just the fact that he was there and awake, calmed the terror clawing at her.

" _Fuck_. How much of that shit did yeh take?" He rasped, unable to keep his voice even. It was the first time she'd ever seen him look afraid. A part of her felt that information was important but her thoughts were far from clear. She focused on his question. The potion. Of course, the potion.

"Fou...four," She bit out between chattering teeth. She felt herself be lifted up, a pair of large arms wrapped around her waist before she was crushed into a hard warm wall of muscle. The fire at her front and the heat at her back lessoned the tremors assaulting her.

"Just breath, yer gonna be fine," His gravelly voice vibrated through her. She sucked in a slow breath. She'd taken too much. She knew that now. Her body was going into shock. She laughed and Gajeel growled.

"If...t-this was all it took," Her voice was so shaky she could barely spit out the words. Gajeel rolled his eyes but couldn't hold back in the snort.

"Don't get any ideas, Shrimp," He ground out the warning. She was icy. Cold enough that contact with her skin made his own erupt in goosebumps. He needed to keep her awake until she warmed up. "I'm not into women who stink," His tone was just verging on mocking and he felt her shake this time with laughter.

"L-like y-you're one to be talking," She laughed again and he allowed himself to crack a smile. Knowing it wouldn't be seen. Her temperature was slowly rising and he was relieved by the fact that he wasn't going to be bringing a corpse back to the guild.

He'd known for a long time now how she felt about him. It was hard to hide much from a Dragon Slayer's nose and Gajeel wasn't stupid. He scoffed at the thought.

"Just...shut up and rest. Its gonna be a few hours and then you're gonna need to deal with one fucking killer hangover," She nodded her head and stilled. Her breathing evening out.

Gajeel held her until her body temperature had stabilized and she'd gone limp in his arms, and then for a few hours after just to be sure. His arms ached by the time he set her back on her bedroll. Three of those potions in a week would be too much for a man the size of Elfman. Potion toxicity could be lethal and she was fucking tiny. How a woman so smart could make such stupid decisions, was a mystery to him.

She slept for the rest of the night and half of the next day before the pain in her head and joints woke her up. Her hips and knees and shoulders felt like they were filled with broken glass. She'd been positioned on her stomach and her left arm had been freed from her top. She groaned looking round. Finding Gajeel boiling water over the still burning fire. There was significantly less furniture scattering the room.

"Don't move," His tone broached no argument. She stayed put watching him. Gajeel was sterilizing bandages. "I already cleaned it. But we need to close it before infection sets in. How it hasn't already, I've no fuckin' idea," He muttered absently.

Levy sighed. With the medicine leaving her system she was more clear headed than she had been in days. All the anger that had been driving her was fading and she was left with a hollow shame. Embarrassed and self-loathing. A powerful urge to pee.

"Thank you..." Levy mumbled the words and Gajeel stalled momentarily, a strip of material halfway out of the pot of water. She couldn't look at him.

"Don't bother thankin' me. Try concentratin' on not doing stupid shit and we'll call it even," He bit out, exasperated.

Levy glared. All that fading anger was surging back. She locked eyes with him now, embarrassment gone, brow furrowed. She was _thanking_ him. Did he not have a single tactful bone in his whole body?

"You're a _jerk_ ," She deadpanned.

"And you're the idiot in love with one," He countered with a cruelty, an acidity, that made her breath hitch painfully in her chest.

She tried to stand but he moved around her and held her down. One hand in the middle of her back, pinning her.

"I told you not to move,"

She bit back a shriek when she felt the needle go in. Gajeel was far from gentle with the stitches. The physical pain was only a brief respite though from this last comment. Only he would take something so fragile, something that made her feel so vulnerable, and expose it like that. Mock it. As though she had a choice. As though anyone ever had a choice in the ones they loved. Not that she could even be sure she'd go as far as saying she loved him. She had a crush. Just some stupid little crush.

"I'm not in love with you," She growled out like she meant it.

Gajeel pulled a little harder than absolutely necessary on the thread and she hissed sharply at the jolt of fresh pain.

"Who's Maeve?" He asked and Levy jerked away from him. He pushed down on her sharply. "Fuck sake, _stop moving_." He growled. "You called out her name in your sleep," Levy went motionless. She was exhausted from struggling.

"She's my sister..." The words sounds so foreign. She honestly couldn't remember ever saying it out loud before. It had been so long she could barely even remember what Maeve looked like. When she dreamed about her, she was just a formless voice. A voice that screamed and screamed. A sound so tortured it made Levy's hands quake just to remember. She'd screamed while their parents had been murdered in front of them.

"Didn't think you'd any family left," He was suddenly curious. A woman like Levy goes on the run, risking her life, reputation and the safety of the world itself. He was interested to know what her stakes were in all this.

"She's...I..." Levy mumbled, suddenly speechless.

"I take it she's got something to do with the book?" Gajeel offered. Prying for more information. Was she being blackmailed? Was that it?

Levy couldn't respond, she only nodded and lay there, a tear falling across her nose. Gajeel didn't press it. But he wanted to know, now. He suddenly wanted to know who she really was and where she'd come from. Just exactly what kind of things she was really made of. He'd placed her on a pedestal when she was so much more than a porcelain doll. She was a woman with secrets. Dark ones. The smiles and the laughter were an image she'd masked herself with. Eventually becoming the lie. In much the same way he became the monster he'd pretended to be, when he'd joined Phantom.

She didn't move, even when he was finished and had redressed the wound. She lay there in silence, the cold air prickling at her bare back. She focused on the physical pain in her tired limbs and welcomed the distraction from the turmoil in her head and the freshly reopened emotional scars.

When she finally managed to sit up, head spinning, Gajeel passed her an apple.

"Lily was pretty pissed at me," He took another link from the chain and popped it into his mouth, chewing loudly. What was once about ten foot long was now just as long as his forearm. He glowered at her. "I owe yeh an apology, Shrimp," Only he would say it like she wasn't worthy of one. She couldn't say he was wrong. His voice faded out. It didn't slip by that he'd hadn't _actually_ apologised.

"No," Her voice was tiny. Mousey. "I'm a terrible person. The worst part is, no one sees it," She cast her eyes to the book and her expression deadened. "I know very well what that book does. But... as difficult as it is to live with, I couldn't live at all if I did nothing," She was squeezing the apple hard enough that her fingers had broken its skin and the juice was running over her hands.

She watched Gajeel think. His mind running through the motions of a difficult subject. One eye slightly narrowed, chewing with his mouth open. Occasionally huffing at the juncture of some small decision or realization. It was sorta endearing to watch and Levy scoffed at herself for the thought. It didn't help to feed an unrequited crush with conjecture and delusion. She knew better.

"Well, yeh better learn. We're heading back in the morning."

Then he stood and took his coat, heading out into the cold for some air. Gajeel was already regretting every decision he'd made so far.

* * *

Notes

Thank you so much ahwowaaa21 and Kymberleycool for the favorites. And the reviews! I genuinely don't know what to say. I actually may have shed a tear at that review.

Hope people are enjoying the story so far. Your reviews and messages mean the world to me. :)


	7. Chapter 6

He took her light pen. And out of pretty much everything he'd said and done so far, for some, utterly bizarre reason she seemed to take offense to that, the most. It made so little sense to Levy. Especially when compared with the fact that he'd refused to leave her alone for a moment, not even when she had to relieve herself. Not when she was trying to clean herself up, because, he wasn't wrong, she was pretty ripe. He'd been obliging enough to turn away but there was still something so unnerving about the lack of privacy. She couldn't even stand people _hearing_ her pee. It briefly crossed her mind, while she was trying to pack up her stuff the following morning, that out of all of those things, the pen was probably the least embarrassing. While she focused on that, she didn't have to think about the fact that Gajeel was now intimately familiar with the concept that she hummed while urinating.

The Dragon Slayer's mood hadn't improved, either. Paranoid, more than likely right to be, he'd stayed awake all night watching her. And if Levy hadn't known that the man wasn't a morning person, she did now. His method of communication before dawn consisted of throwing things at her till she got the message. Her coat. Her satchel. Her backpack. Grunting impatiently when she didn't move fast enough. Truthfully, even standing upright at the moment was taxing beyond measure. A trek down from the mountains in the snow was more than likely going to kill her.

In the daylight, the abandoned church she'd been using as a refuge, seemed even lonelier than it had in the darkness. Enormous statues, portraying Gods and monsters, stood broken and desolate. The pews that would have once lined the expanse in neat, orderly rows had been gathered and dumped; burned for good measure. The main effigy of whatever religion that had been worshiped here, had been callously defaced with blackening paint. Acts either born out of fear or hatred. It was staggering how so frequently both of those things came together, hand in hand.

The light stung her eyes when she emerged outside. The sun was shining down from a clear blue sky. The only evidence of the storm were the miles upon miles of deep, blindingly white snow. Realistically, it should have been Gajeel walking ahead, with Levy following in his trail, but the man just didn't trust her enough to leave her at his rear, so he walked closely behind as Levy fought along. She fell a number of times, slowly, painfully rising after, her very bones aching, but there was only so much she could put herself physically through before her body had had enough. Her legs felt like jelly before they'd even made it to the main trail down. Forcing herself to keep getting up, keep moving until she couldn't distinguish the white ground from the bright blue horizon through her blurred, unfocused vision. After two hours of labour she fell, and she didn't get back up.

She didn't dream after she lost consciousness. A small relief, in and of itself. The nightmares had been growing worse as the nights progressed. There were repercussions to having the book in her possession that had nothing to do with the Council death squad that would be coming after her once they found out it was her who took it. When she finally came round, it was to an all encompassing warmth that enveloped her and a steady, gentle rocking that tempted her back to sleep. It was only the almost overwhelming smell of sweat that spurred her to open her eyes.

Gajeel knew the instant she'd woken up from the yelp she made as she struggled against him. He resisted the urge to just drop her. He could count on his fingers the number of times he'd ever felt guilty for something or another. All bar two of those occasions involved the blue haired woman squirming indignantly against him. He let out a sigh and lowered her to her feet; taking care not to jostle the shoulder he'd stitched up. She wavered but stayed standing. His back and arms ached, his body glad to be rid of the extra weight he'd spent the better part of the day hoisting down the snow covered path.

"If you're well enough to struggle, you're well enough to walk," But his tone lacked the usual bite. He just couldn't bring himself to mean it. The woman had been half dead the day before. Shot. He hadn't seen her eat more than a few pieces of fruit since he found her and he'd made her lead the way through the snow. She should have been dead a dozen times over. If he wanted her alive by the time they got back to the guild, he was going to need to sort out whatever his lingering problems with her were, and start treating her with a little more care. He couldn't say it was what had happened back at those caverns that had soured her to him. He'd been passed that by the time Lily had woken up and started chewing his ear off. The Exceed had been right. People make stupid mistakes all the time. At least hers hadn't been intentional. How many peoples lives had he ruined? How many people had he killed? He couldn't even imagine the number.

"Where are we going?" He hadn't heard her speak in so long her voice actually startled him. They'd already passed the worst of the snow and cold, and the treeline of the forest was now in sight. Gajeel was looking forward to getting out of the open. Some place with cover and shade.

"We're gonna return what you stole," He told her evenly. He'd thought about it extensively. It would be better for her to start making amends as early as possible. The less she had to feel bad for the easier moving on would be. Damage control. That's what it was. Damage control for the guild and for her guilty conscience. It would eventually come out that she was responsible for that break in. These things usually did. As much as he disliked the idea of going back, returning what had been taken was going to make everything a lot more straightforward to deal with. She'd broken that guards leg only after he'd shot her. It could be worked out. If he knew nothing else, he knew Makarov would move the earth for them. He'd be able to straighten out all of this. In Gajeel's mind, that was fact. Not wishful thinking. He knew better now than to doubt what Fairy Tail could be capable of when it came to it's members.

"Oh," Was all she muttered in reply, her cheeks flushing with shame.

Gajeel felt like laughing at that. She'd been thought that theft was wrong and something to be avoided. He'd had a slightly different upbringing. Theft was a pretty natural behavior, and sometimes, you needed to steal to survive. If taking something as meaningless as a piece of paper from someone wealthy enough to afford it's loss, gave her pause, it was undoubtedly for the best she didn't go through with whatever she was planning. She might have liked to believe she was a terrible person. He'd had a hand in that, he was sure. But the truth of the matter was that she was still a good-natured fool underneath it all. Considering his own pretty shitty behavior he was starting to feel the _opposite_ applied to him.

It took two arduous days to get back to the estate. They moved at Levy's pace. Slow and with frequent stops. But it was good. She was getting stronger. The better she got, the faster they could move. And he already knew she could move at an impressive speed, even while injured.

A few hours away from their first stop off before the train to the guild, Gajeel smelled smoke. He looked skyward but the dense foliage obscured any visible traces of burning. It was the wrong time of year for forest fires and he knew something wasn't right. His instincts were rarely if ever wrong.

"Stay here," Was all he said before hoisting himself into the branches of the nearest tree. He moved upward, aiming for a vantage point that could give him a better view of the surrounding area. When he emerged through the trees he saw it. The flames shooting high as the estate house they'd been headed to, burned to the ground.

He dropped straight to the dirt beside Levy.

"What's wrong? What is it?" She glanced around nervously. She wouldn't be able to smell it yet.

It was more than a coincidence. Makarov had said that the Council would send people after her and that estate would be the first place anyone following them would check.

"A pain in my ass, Shrimp,"

The Dragon Slayer was faced with a difficult decision. The only reason they'd bother destroying the house would be to hide evidence. They'd have killed the people in it. No point otherwise.

He rubbed his face tiredly. The station would more than likely be watched. They needed to get as far from here as possible.

"Gajeel?" She asked him. He realized he'd never actually answered her question.

"Council death squad is on our tail," His words didn't shock her like he'd expected. She bit her lip, he could see the moisture gathering in her eyes.

"The manor...it's gone, isn't it," She muttered, beginning to tremble. People were now dead because of her.

Gajeel wanted to reach out to her but he stayed his hands.

"Yeah."

They needed to be someplace other than here. Someplace far away. Someplace quiet. Someplace without lacrima communication.

* * *

Notes

Gajeel has been a right bastard for the last few chapters. Lol Guy has issues. But there's really only so long you can stay angry at Levy. Things are going to really start kicking off in the coming chapters. Whether they like it or not, these two are going to be stuck together for a more of the story comes out were gonna see more and more from Levy's side.

A big thank you for the fav Rachel3003.

Updates are gonna slow down a little for the next while. The mind, heart and soul is willing but spare time just won't allow.

If you're enjoying it so far, please let me know what you think. You guys keep me writing.

Moonbeam


	8. Chapter 7

Levy couldn't remember ever running so much. Often times, she found herself ran ragged in Shadow Gear. Just one of the repercussions of working closely with a speed mage. But Gajeel set a gruellingly unrelenting pace that left her heaving with the effort to keep moving. Still not fully recovered, she stopped after four torturous hours. Unable to stand, retching into the grass. Gajeel on the other hand, was sweating, but otherwise looked fine.

"Don't tell me I'm gonna need to carry you again?" He quirked an eyebrow at her.

Levy couldn't help her frown. Gajeel was intentionally trying to wind her up and it was working. But they needed to put as much distance as they could between themselves and the mamor, as soon as they could manage it. So if that was his motivation tactic, she'd forgive him. Gajeel had pointed to an empty spot on her map about eighty miles away. The apparent location of an inn. It wasn't officially in any particular town, or noted on any documentation you could purchase. He only knew it existed because he'd been there with Lily. A single inn a few miles from a cluster of farms. That was their destination. They would be able to buy themselves a little time. Hopefully if they were being tracked, by the time their pursuers made it up and back from the mountain ruins, their current trail would be cold.

As far as Levy could tell, it was as good a plan as they had for the moment. The only problem with it, was her. Gajeel had seemingly infinite reserves of stamina. She'd already been half-dead by the time they began. She couldn't ever remember being in worse physical condition. She grit her teeth and stood shakily. Trying to summon whatever reserves she had left.

"Run till I die or more of your armpit sweat?" She gave him the smallest, shakiest grin. "I'll take death," She giggled and the smirk that broke Gajeel's face before he burst out laughing was almost worth the hell so far. It made her insides dance. She wished he'd smile more often. She took off her headband and ran her fingers through the hairs currently plastered to her scalp. Her mind drifting back to the manor. The man had been married and wealthy enough to afford live in servants. Were they all dead? Was the very concept of her having the book so terrifying that they would murder completely innocent people? She knew, to them, it probably was. The brief moment of something other than pain and guilt was fleeting and it fled in the face of her crimes. "Do we have much longer to go?"

Gajeel narrowed his eyes, still smiling.

"About six to eight hours, Shrimp. All depends on you,"

Levy almost died right there. She'd be hiring carriages for the remainder of her living days if she survived this. There would be no more running, she told herself. _Ever_. She rubbed her sore, aching calves and took a long draught of water from their nearly empty canteen.

"Ask me again in an hour,"

Levy trudged ahead, breaking into a slow jog. Gajeel openly smiling as she passed him.

* * *

The man at the inn had almost done a double take when Gajeel had come knocking at his door close to midnight. The local farmers who'd come to drink at his bar would be home in their beds before nine, ready to rise for another long day working the land. They didn't see many people after dark. Especially people from outside the area. The inn sat on the far borders of three other towns. Not technically a part of any of them, it was an entity unto itself. Only the locals came there to drink. But the innkeep recognised the Dragon Slayer. The only reason he even opened the door was that he knew a wooden door wouldn't keep be able to keep Gajeel out.

There was only one room for rent at the inn. Two beds nestled side by side, separated by a small bedside table with a reading lamp. A single shower room and toilet cramped into a room no bigger than a shoe closet. But to Gajeel it was the best thing he'd seen in over a week. Levy stumbled over feet too tired to carry her properly and fell face down on a dusty comforter. Literally unable to move. Gajeel set a plate of sandwiches on the bed beside her, the only thing available this late. It may as well have been a feast compared to what they'd been eating. He took two from the pile and crammed them in his mouth. Barely chewing before he swallowed. Levy was already asleep before he'd finished. He watched the soft rise and fall of her chest as she twitched. She'd start crying out soon enough. Every time she'd slept, she fell to nightmares. Her small fists would pull at her clothes or her hair. She'd weep, she'd moan and she'd curse. It was harrowing to watch.

While she slept, he showered and washed the sweat from his shirts. For all his mockery of her it hadn't slipped by unnoticed that he stank to high heaven. Hot water was absolute bliss and he spent longer in the shower than he probably should have but she was still sleeping when he emerged. Face down, fully dressed in clothes so filthy they were literally stiff.

"Shrimp!" Gajeel shook her awake. She rolled on her side and squared him with a look of such fiery indignation that he felt his core temperature actually rise several degrees from the heat of it alone. "Don't give me that! You stink. Go wash up."

He could see her go to war with herself over the prospect of being actually clean versus closing her eyes again. The nightmares must have been particularly bad because she rolled herself stiffly out of the bed to her feet, and dragged herself to the shower.

Peaking out from her satchel, Gajeel eyed the book. Curiosity taking over he slipped it out, palming through a few pages. All of which were blank. "Thought books were meant to have words and shit in them," He snorted. So much trouble over something so small. He tossed it onto her bed, away from him. Couldn't even stand to look at the thing. Leaning back, still clad in a towel while his clothes dried, Gajeel closed his eyes briefly. Unsure when he would get another opportunity to relax before it all went to crap again.

She could barely hold herself up in the shower, her legs ached so much. The muscles had ceased to function like they should and every movement was torture. But the hot water was like magic. It made up for so much. She cranked the temperature up as high as she could stand and let it scorch her. Burning away all the things in her mind that had come to plague her. Her guilt, her shame, her self hatred. It ran in murky streams down the drain. She knew it would return, but for the moment its burden had been lessoned. When she finished, she found Gajeel asleep. Not simply resting. Genuinely sleeping. Damp hair covering his pillow like a halo and snoring softly. He looked so peaceful. Almost innocent. The harsh expression on his face had been somewhat alleviated by rest. He was beautiful in his own strange way; looking so much younger when he wasn't trying to appear so intimidating. You'd never have guessed they were almost the same age. She carefully pushed a strand of hair off his face. He twitched but didn't wake up.

She ate the sandwiches hungrily. Tomato and cheese had never tasted so good. Then dressed herself in whatever she had left that was clean. Her old familiar orange dress felt far too cheerful; far too much like the happy, carefree Levy she'd left back in Magnolia. But it was clean and dry and that would do. From underneath her pillow she took out her light pen which she'd taken back while Gajeel showered. A rune trap with a simple timer could contain him. And she could set up more as she left. People were dead because of her but it was these little acts of deceit she knew would leave the longest lasting marks.

She set to work quickly. The rune spell was crude and ugly and anyone with even rudimentary skill would be able to unlock it, but she knew Gajeel was weak against these forms of magic.

The glowing red words snaked around his bed before locking together. The barrier she'd raised would keep whoever was inside it from leaving for a few hours. Enough time to gain some distance and set up some more traps in his path when he followed. She knew he would follow.

She picked up the book and winced when the letters on the cover glowed at her touch. She knew within the pages, words were now appearing where there's been only blank paper before. She hated it so much. Its very title was in mockery of her. A cruel joke at her families expense. A legacy no person should have to bare. But as much as it made her sick to her stomach to even be this close to it, she needed its power. To that end, it was a necessary evil.

She turned, picking up her backpack and headed to the door. There was a pained grunt behind her as she realized Gajeel woken up and collided with her barrier. When she looked, he was rubbing his forehead. A bewildered, and dare she even try and swallow the concept, hurt look in his eyes before he replaced it with blind fury. He growled like some kind of caged beast and the look in his eyes made her tremble. But it was too late to stop. "I'm sorry," She whispered under her breath before taking a pained step away from him. A step away from whatever recovered trust had been reformed between them. She wiped tears from her eyes and kept moving.

She hadn't made it more than a few feet before she felt the thin iron chain snap around her ankle and she found herself face first on the floor being dragged back. The collision with the wood knocked the breath out of her lungs. The light pen still in her hands fell and rolled put of reach. She dug her nails into the floor for purchase, stretching her fingertips out to it desperately. But it was already put of her grasp. She sobbed, going limp in utter defeat before a large hand picked her up by the back of her dress and she was flung onto the bed and pinned.

She couldn't meet his gaze, instead focusing on the lamp on the bedside table. The only light in the room save for the crescent moon outside their window.

"Look at me!" He snarled and Levy did. Meeting his furious eyes. "I wanna know why. I wanna know why you can barely stand and you're still runnin' from me," He asked her. There was emotion in his voice he couldn't control. Levy couldn't read him. And she was usually so good at it.

"If you stay with me, you're going to die," The words fell amid a torrent of tears. "Why does it even matter? You don't even _care_ ," She bit out spitefully. "Just let me go. I have to go."

His grip on her lessoned enough for her to pull her arms free. He sat back on his knees while Levy scrambled up against the headboard. He knelt looking at her strangely. Red eyes boring holes into her. Shirtless and still clad in a towel she could see him grind his teeth.

"I _care_ ," He said finally. Like the very words hurt him to say. But she could tell he meant them. Most of what came out of the Dragon Slayer's mouth could be disregarded as bluff or bluster but he was sincere in this.

Suddenly, Levy felt more weary than she'd ever felt. Too tired to stop herself from crying. Loud angry tears that shook her body with sobs. She moved forward and wrapped her arms around Gajeel's waist, burying her face into his chest. She felt arms embrace her and hold her steady against him. She poured her aguish into him and he took it all, silently. His hand moving up to cup the back of her head, softly stroking her wet hair.

She stayed like that till she was spent. Till the tears stopped and she grew self conscious enough to recognize that she was now trapped on a bed by her own rune spell, light pen out of reach, and with a near naked Gajeel holding her; she could smell the soap off his skin. She flushed and with a breath she pulled back. Sitting against the pillows. The timer was for six hours. Those were going to be awkward for a great many reasons. Levy sighed. Feeling the emotional numbness spread, deadening her to everything outside of the man in front of her. She focused on the image of him sleeping. The feel of his arms. The warmth. When she let go, the words started coming out.

"Calus Vigna Sept was my great grandfather," Gajeel pulled himself up straighter. His face immediately stern again. He said nothing. Unwilling to interrupt her in case she stopped. She sighed. "It's why the Council won't just lock me up. Why they _need_ to kill me. I'm the only one capable of using that book. They won't take that chance."

Gajeel narrowed his eyes. The way Makarov told it, the wizard was second in notoriety only to Zeref himself. Evil, the old man had called him. To think that the little blue haired script mage was related to him was shocking to say the least.

"Why use it at all?" He asked. Finally getting to the crux of everything. The heart of it.

"Because it's the only way into the darker well," She looked at him, resolute. Unwavering. "I need it to free my sister."

* * *

Notes

 **Rachel3003** thank you for the review! And yes, I am in fact a middle aged woman. I'm so happy you like the story. I know its a slow burner, its why I wanted to get out as many of these opening chapters as I could. :)

Big thank you to **brolyssj1** for the favorite. I'm going to make a point of thanking everyone I can. The story just means so much to me and it makes me happy beyond words that other people are enjoying it, too.


	9. Chapter 8

When she would wake, she'd consider the insanity that let her dream the same dream, night after night, never actually realizing it wasn't real until she'd jerk awake, sweaty and shaking.

It was always the same sequence. Her father pulled away from them. The sword that seems to materialize from thin air, piercing his body to the sound of laughter. When he falls, his body is still convulsing; open eyes staring emptily at them. The face that would laugh at the kitchen table; secretly slipping her and her sister sweets while their mother prepared dinner unknowingly; suddenly just an empty shell. She watches powerlessly as her mother begins weeping on her knees. Her fathers body is burning. And then the dream always becomes hazy. Disjointed. She can hear her sister beginning to scream when they cut their mother's throat. So much _blood_. It pools out underneath her before it slowly moves up Levy's skin in thin tendrils, like vines. Covering her. Slithering in her mouth and her ears and under her fingernails. Its touch burning like acid. Her mothers death seeping into her very being. Staining her. The laughter fades to shouts and cries and suddenly the guards are gone. The chamber almost empty except for her and her sister. When she looks to Maeve, she realizes she never stopped screaming, Levy just can't hear it; a white noise, barely distinguishable from silence. But Maeve's mouth is still open, face contorted in a mixture of rage and absolute agony.

Harrowed and terrifying.

* * *

When Levy woke she couldn't move, and there was a moment of soul deep panic before she realized Gajeel had wrapped his arms around her at some point while she slept. Too exhausted to even try and disable the rune trap they'd simply fallen asleep, cramped on the single bed together. She could feel his breath on the back of her head and the warmth of his arms. It was still dark outside but the birds were chirping, signalling the approaching dawn. The trap would have expired by now. She untangled her legs from his and moved his arm so she could sit up. A grunt behind her let her know that she'd woken the ornery Dragon Slayer.

"The runes should be gone. You can have your bed back," She muttered to him. A glance behind her saw he'd one eye closed and the other barely open a crack. Her feet hadn't touched the floor before she felt the arm snake back around her waist and pull her back down. Levy let out a squeak, both in surprise and mock protest. But she couldn't help but melt against him. She wasn't able to put her finger on what had changed, or why, but something clearly had. A few days ago he would have protested having to even share a room with her. The movement caused her to pull the stitches in her shoulder. She'd probably popped one or two earlier on, but it was difficult to identify one pain from the another when her entire body felt like it had been hit by a train. Right now though, the throbbing made it impossible to get comfortable enough to rest. She squirmed and let out a hiss between teeth when she felt the familiar sting.

"The shoulder?" Gajeel was fully awake now. She could feel his fingertips brush the exit wound on her back. He grunted. " _Fine_. I should _probably_ get dressed, gihi," He finished with a chuckle.

Levy jolted upright, ignoring the pain it caused her. Red faced and suddenly sweaty. Gajeel of course was still, _still_ just wearing a towel. She'd spent all night in a small bed with a naked Gajeel, and she was so tired it had taken her until now to even feel embarrassed by that. She found herself suddenly unable to swallow. Behind her she felt the bed bounce as Gajeel stood up. She almost turned around but snapped her eyes forward as she saw the towel he'd been wearing sail passed her to land on the floor at her feet, between the beds. She made an audible noise in the back of her throat. He was laughing at her as he walked around the room stark naked. She genuinely couldn't believe this was happening.

"Would you just get dressed already?" She said, exasperated. The man was impossible. She could hear him rummage among his things and she prayed those were pants he was pulling out of his bag. The bed depressed behind her and a clothed Gajeel pulled at the back of her dress.

"Stitches don't look bad," He hesitated for a moment and Levy turned to him. Questioning. "Your guild mark, though, its gonna need to be restamped when you're healed. Kinda looks a bit messed up," He said evenly.

Levy flinched. She hadn't even thought about how she'd be able to return to Fairy Tail. She pressed her fingers against the front of the wound. A fresh, crippling wave of aguish hit her but was quelled when Gajeel's fingertips made contact with her skin again; this time tracing the outside of her brand with a featherlight touch that made her shudder. Unable to fully bite down the groan she found herself leaning back against his hand. Suddenly desperate for the comfort. For anything that would take her out of her thoughts. But the hand withdrew and cold reality crept in to replace it.

Gajeel lay back down on the bed and yawned. Levy stood on legs so cramped she could barely take a step.

"I'm gonna take a walk to the kitchen and see about breakfast," Gajeel just grunted in acknowledgement.

He wasn't worried she'd take off. She wouldn't be going anywhere without her things. Definitely not without that book. He was mostly concerned with himself right now. He _did_ care. And it was only when he said those words out loud that he realized just how much she mattered to him. Just how much effort he expended telling himself he hated her. Because there were only so many reasons why someone would be in his thoughts so frequently. It was easy to convince yourself it was for the wrong reasons. And yet, there she was, the last living descendant of one of histories monsters. Crying, because she was left to carry that burden alone. Unwilling to drag the people she cared about, into it. To afraid to ask for help.

As he laid there, wide awake with her in his arms, he realized exactly why he'd reacted the way he had. Why her reasons for running had struck with him enough to open up, if however briefly.

He'd known she had feelings for him and he'd been okay with that. He'd been perfectly okay with the idea of her being in love with him. And it had hurt him to think it might have been a lie. That maybe he'd been wrong all along. Maybe he was just another tool to use. Another fool on her growing list of pets at the guild, willing to do anything for her. And it bothered him. It bothered him precisely because he felt something for her, too. Itchy, desperate, gnawing, gnashing feelings that wouldn't go away, leaving him frustrated and angry, while he refused to admit it. Or do anything about it. Not willing to tarnish something so blindingly good. But now all their cards had been laid bare. And Levy was still beautiful. Even with the cracks. She was a person. Not some divine _thing_ destined to always be in sight; always out of reach. She was a flawed individual with just as many skeletons in her closet, if not more, than he had, just trying to do the right thing. Another person behind a mask trying to sort their shit out and hoping they'd be able to live with the repercussions.

No wonder he felt himself constantly gravitating toward her.

He let himself sleep till the sun rose and the light through the window blindly assaulted his eyes. He sat up, looking around, confused. A cold knotted fist of dread, struck him in the gut when he realized she hadn't come back yet. Her things lay untouched. Exactly as she'd left them, hours previously. Concentrating, he searched the inn with his senses, looking for the expected sounds of the innkeeper cleaning or cooking, sounds of boots scuffing wood or doors creaking. Anything that would indicate that he wasn't alone. But there was absolutely nothing. Nothing save for the smell of blood and old ale.

The door to the room collided with the wall so hard it came away from the hinges as Gajeel burst through it. Grabbing only Levy's satchel as he bolted downstairs. The Dragon Slayer almost slipped when he entered the bar. The room completely vacant, save for the innkeeper, still sitting at one of the tables, mug in hand. His chest oozing red from a gapping open wound; the weapon had pierced straight through the heart. Quick, and so silent not even Gajeel heard it.

These weren't mercenaries they'd sent. This was the work of assassins. They'd sent _assassins_. Gajeel inhaled deeply and found the woman's scent. Fearful, anxious. He took a deal breath. The dead didn't fear anything which meant there was a chance she was alive. Though, as far as Gajeel was concerned, _someone_ was going to die.

She'd hadn't had the time to even draw breath when she seen his dead body, slouched at the table, before the impact came and she lost consciousness. When Levy woke it was to an agonizing ache in her jaw and the burn of rope around her wrists. Something had been tied over her face and when she tried to speak, the material covering her mouth absorbed all the sound. Silencing her screams.

The woman who'd taken her wore a hood that his her face from view. Even standing just a few feet away, Levy still couldn't make out her face. When the woman moved it was soundless. A silence that couldn't be anything but magic. It was likely that even if she were capable of screaming at the top of her lungs and someone happened to be passing outside the stables where she was now trussed up like an animal, they wouldn't hear anything if the hooded woman didn't want them to. It was a good choice of mages they sent after her, considering Gajeel's presence.

The assassin had clearly chosen to separate them rather than take both head on, which told the script mage that she probably didn't fancy her chances in a straight up fight with Gajeel. What confused Levy was why she was still alive at all. They would know they didn't need to retrieve the book at all if she were dead. It was useless to anyone else.

It all became clear when her attacker pulled one of her wrists free from the post it had been tied to, and pulled her arm straight. Pushing a basin underneath.

'No!' But her exclamation was silenced by the woman's magic. Panicking, Levy pulled her arm back but the assassin held firm. Levy's eyes were as wide as saucers with the realization that they were after her blood.

It had never even crossed her mind, the idea that perhaps the people that were chasing her, weren't from the Council. The thought that someone was trying to replicate the disaster that had cost her family their lives, was almost too terrible to imagine, someone else trying to finish Calus' work. She'd spent the better part of her life working on a way to seal the void so it could be opened and closed safely. So she could pull her sister free and close the breach before something could go wrong. The manuscript she'd stolen was a spell to do just that. The ultimate seal. Lost to time and unearthed by a collector more interested in the bragging rights it bought him, rather than the contents.

The Walled Garden opened a door into the darker well, but it had no ability to close it. How they closed it before, remained an unsolved mystery.

Levy pulled with all her might. Struggling as the woman tried to hold her arm still enough to cut. With strength born of pure rage, Levy pulled back her hand and kicked out striking the woman solidly in the midsection with the heel of her boot. The assassin staggered back, dropping the knife and doubling over coughing. Not wasting a moment Levy drew the first word that came to her mind and pushed it at her. At the same time the woman lunged forward and the two collided with a sickening wet sound. Levy froze in shock when her solid script knife hit with unintended lethal precision. The hood fell back and a younger girl met her horrified stare. The girls hands covered her abdomen where Levy's conjured knife now sat, buried to the hilt. Blood ran down the girls legs, staining as far as her boots, before she dropped to her knees.

Levy watched the light fade from her wide green eyes with a cool familiarity. The assassin they'd sent after her couldn't have been more than sixteen years old if she was a day. It barely registered that she'd killed her. Levy pulled the muzzle off and started the process of freeing her other wrist; her hands were shaking. Released from the restraints, she sat down in the hay and pulled her knees up to her chest. Willing her body to do more than tremble. She numbly registered that she was going into shock.

That was how Gajeel found her. Sitting in the stable beside a cooling corpse. Face blank and expression set.

"I don't know how she found us so fast. It doesn't make sense," She said with a shaking voice. "They must have teleportation. Some other way to track us."

"Levy!"

Her eyes snapped up to him. It may have been the first time he'd ever used her actual name.

She looked at the corpse at their feet. Her eyes seemed to look through it. Not actually seeing it.

"I had to. She was going to kill me. She killed the innkeeper," She looked up to Gajeel, a concerned look in her eyes. He recognised the trauma there. She was on the verge of crumbling. When this finally sank in it was going to destroy the good-natured script mage. "I don't think the Council sent her," She whispered.

Gajeel took two steps forward and reached out a hand to help Levy to her feet.

"Yeah, and I don't think she was alone, either, Shrimp," He handed her the bright red satchel.

* * *

Notes

A big thank you **f** **unkytobas** and **v** **maddd19** for the favs.

And **Rachel3003,** I've had chapter drafts written for quite some time, so it certainly makes the writing easier. Definitely quicker when you know exactly how you want things to go. So no worries about me rushing things. I've been writing it in my head for about 6 months. :)

Hope you folks are enjoying it, and don't forget to drop me a review and let me know what you think so far. I'm always open for chat as well.


	10. Chapter 9

Levy would have bet her life on it, that it had been her magic they were tracking. Perhaps using teleportation magic to get the assassin in close, once they identified her. It explained why they'd gone for an entire day undetected and yet just an hour or two after she activated a rune trap, someone came knocking. She couldn't be sure if they were tracking Gajeel's, too. It was impossible to say. Just to be on the safe side, they both agreed not to use anything for the time being.

The script mage was numbed by the situation. Hallowed out. Incapable of feeling anything beyond a deep revulsion toward the person she seemed to be changing into. She'd _killed_ a young girl. It didn't matter that it was in self defense. Someone was still dead. She felt unclean. Whoever she was now, could never go back to the woman from before. Her world was in literal tatters.

To her astonishment, Gajeel seemed openly sympathetic to what she was going though. She knew he'd killed before. And not all of them deserving of it, either. It stood to reason that he'd been in her position at some point. He sat her down on a bale of hay and set his coat over her shoulders, wordlessly. She felt herself be swallowed up in the material; the thing dwarfed her. It was a comfort in ways she truly had no means of expressing to him; a physical shield that seemed to be partially keeping the worst of her guilt at bay. She watched him go back into the inn and return with their things. Her belongings had been unceremoniously stuffed into her bag, but she didn't mind. He'd spared her the horror of having to walk back passed the innkeeper's body.

"We can't keep runnin' like this. We should wait here and take them out when they show,"

The directness of Gajeel's plan was undoubtedly the most solid idea he could come up with. Physically, she was spent. If they ran, he would be carrying her, and if it did come down to a fight they'd be at a disadvantage.

But Levy had an ace. The original plan was to use it later, but there weren't many other current options and they needed to buy themselves time. They needed to hide. If all they were after was her blood and the book, then it meant they'd to be extra careful. She doubted they'd need much.

She took her satchel and between the cursed book and the stolen manuscript there was a single sheet of torn parchment. She took it out and placed between them.

"Hold one side," She told Gajeel and the man quirked an eyebrow at her, questioningly. "It's a one use spell. It'll move us from one place to another. It wasn't meant for this..." She frowned looking at him seriously. He could see her weighing the risks. "You're going to need to empty your head of anything that might mess this up. You can't be thinking about your home while I'm thinking about mine. You understand?"

Gajeel nodded, taking the corner of the paper and straightening the backpack on his shoulders.

Levy closed her eyes and pictured the place in her mind. The paper grew hot under her fingers and she felt her entire body lurch amid a blinding flash of light.

The impact at their new location was so jarring she found herself on her backside in the dirt, the world spinning. She couldn't see him but she could hear Gajeel heaving the meagre contents of his stomach onto the ground. The paper they'd been holding was now nothing more than ash in the wind. Her fingertips stained with soot from the spell.

When she stood, finally free of the vertigo, she took a quick glance around the empty farm she'd sent them to. It was exactly as she remembered it. Even after all the years that had passed. She looked to the east, where the sun was only just rising, and knew, just out of sight beyond the ridge, her family home would still be standing. Just as they'd left it before the Baron's guards had come to drag them up the hill to the castle. She would have loved to see her home again, but it was too much of a risk. Overlooking the valley, the ruined walls of Fort Dunbray stood in memory to the last time someone tried to open a door into the well. Even the stone in the building had been consumed by the gate.

Gajeel followed her into the cottage, leaving their bags at the front door. Ready to bolt at a moments notice. From the dust and the smell it had been unoccupied for years. A thick layer covered every flat surface and made his nose itch unpleasantly. He pulled out a bag and set it on the kitchen table. Inside it was all the food he could carry from larder back at the inn. Cheese and bread and some smoked meats. Enough of the basics to keep them fed, that was, until they could figure something else out. They were going to be eating sandwiches for a while, he reckoned.

He watched, washing the motion sickness away with some water, while Levy hung his coat up and took off her shoes; setting them neatly by the door. He could tell that it was these little acts of meticulousness that were holding some parts of her together. Like the mortar at her crumbling core. Even now she was creating order around her, to balance out the turmoil in her head. She found the bedroom door and he watched her crawl onto the musty bed, fully clothed. Neither of them had slept properly in days. They'd been chased and attacked. Forced to endure. And run. Sleeping with one eye open when they did rest. Physically, Gajeel could have run the length of Fiore and had enough left for a decent enough fight, but mentally he was drained. Everything had become a tangled web of madness. His original mission to bring back Levy and destroy the book had fast fallen apart. He didn't know how to do either of those things right now. A part of him wanted to ask her why she didn't use her spell to take them back to the guild. But he knew why already. It was the same reason she left. She didn't want anyone else involved. She didn't want them hurt like Lily.

Gajeel couldn't say he didn't agree in this case. There were some powerful mages at the guild, but also children and people who didn't practice magic. Dragging this back to Fairy Tail would only lead to disaster.

He set his boots beside hers at the front door and lay down on the bed facing her. Tears were silently running across her face, over her nose, disappearing into her hair. He let out a breath he'd been holding; secretly glad that she was crying. The alternative was to bottle it all up. He knew from experience just how messed up that could leave you. He inched closer and wrapped her in his arms, bringing her against his chest. The palms of her hands fell to his shoulders while he held her by the waist, with his fingers soothingly stroking the small of her back. He'd have liked to believe that the act of comforting her was altruistic, but the truth of it was that he wanted her close to him. As much as he was comforting her, she was doing the same. It was nice to be wanted in that way. Knowing that whatever she felt for him was genuine, made him crave it more than air.

 _He cared_.

When her eyes opened they were red from crying but as they locked with his, something washed over him. It wasn't necessarily sexual. It wasn't _entirely_ sexual, anyway, but he felt the bond that had grown between them as though it were a living, tangible thread. The way she was looking at him, left him drunk from the sight of her alone. Her eyes seemed to swallow him whole. He let his hand glide up her arm, fingers lingering on the skin of her neck. A bruise had already begun to form, spreading out over her jaw from the attack at the inn. The blemish was ugly and tender looking.

He couldn't tell if whatever was happening was a bad idea. Or if the timing was in some way inappropriate. She was fragile right now; vulnerable. It didn't feel _proper_. But Gajeel knew he was a selfish bastard at heart, and at present he was acting on pure impulse; moving his hand up he wiped the dampness from her cheek with a thumb, before resting his hand there; moving a lock of hair out of the way. She sighed, eyelids closing, before leaning into him.

Levy opened her eyes only when she felt his hot breath wash across the tip of her nose; so close they were almost touching. The hand that remained, cupping her face, felt like it was the only thing keeping all the pieces of her together. He was currently the only thing anchoring her to the here and now. Relaxing into his touch she allowed him to softly angle her head up, before brushing his lips over hers. A tender gesture from a man who would have probably sworn blind he didn't know the meaning of the word. Her eyes fluttered of their own accord. Her world bottoming out beneath her.

Confused and a little disorientated, Levy leaned away from him; breaking the contact. In all the late night yearnings, and moments of solitary pleasure she'd found at the thought of Gajeel, the reality made them all pale in comparison. The barest of touches banished every thought in her head and left her mouth dry and her heart pounding in her chest. A never before experienced aching that throbbed in her gut. He might not have felt the same for her, but a selfish part didn't care. In this moment, it didn't matter whether it was love. It was _enough_. Just enough to drive out the darkness, if even for a little while.

She pushed herself forward and caught the Dragon Slayer momentarily off guard. The return kiss was all too brief and more than a little clumsy, but there was a trembling eagerness to it, born of longing and denial, and desperation. It wasn't something she could ever claim to have had much experience with, but pulling back she found Gajeel with that lobsided grin of his plastered across his face.

"What the hell you call that?" He said smugly and Levy's face turned bright crimson in embarrassment.

"You started it..." She mumbled under her breath, looking away sheepishly before righteous, indignant anger kicked in and she turned back to him, furious.

She opened her mouth to speak again; defend herself, but the argument never made it passed her lips before Gajeel was pressed against them. His tongue, the feel of his hands now threading her hair, she thought her heart would crack open her chest, it was beating so hard. She moaned against him arching into his body. Feeling the growl bubbling up from his core. Vibrating through her.

When he pulled back to give her air, she found herself utterly senseless. She couldn't even remember what she'd been planning to say. Only vaguely aware Gajeel had spoken at all to begin with. He left a lighter kiss against her stunned lips before he closed his eyes, letting out an exhausted huff of air. Dragon Slayers loved their naps, it would appear. Levy felt herself relax but was far too wound up to sleep.

The only thing running through her mind was a single question: What the _hell_ just happened?

* * *

Notes

Thank you **suicuneluvr** for the favorite! And to all the followers and reviewers. It makes me happy beyond words that you're enjoying it. There will be smut in this story by the way. Coming soon in fact. Just a warning for folks. Remember the M. I'm a sucker for Gajevy.

Thank you for the review. Not necessarily clever. Just middle-aged with a memory like a sieve and a short attention span. If I don't write it down, poof, gone. XD


	11. Chapter 10

Despite the tension in her bones, Levy realized she must have managed to doze off at some point. When she woke up, glancing outside she determined it was close to noon from the angle of the sun. A new sun, new timezone. Her dreams had been plagued with visions of violence and cruelty and death. Her hands stained with blood she couldn't wash off. The faces of her friends and family looking at her with accusation. She took a deep breath to calm herself. Shake away the nightmares and focus on the days to come. A new day she told herself. Her homeland had once been part of Fiore but over centuries it had been taken and retaken by various adjoining kingdoms. It was probably one of the only places in the world where at least a half a dozen languages could be heard spoken within a small two hundred square mile area. Her home was a land that had been conquered so many times, history had lost count.

Gajeel was awake, Levy could tell, despite the stillness and the fact that his eyes were still closed. He wasn't asleep. It amused her to consider how easy it was for her to tell. He scowled less when _actually_ unconscious. Smiling, Levy leaned in and up, leaving the lightest of kisses on his lips.

He smiled at her, eyes still closed, and she almost forgot everything. Including how to breathe. It filled her with warmth and the unshakeable urge to bury herself in his arms for the remainder of her living days. It was potent and intoxicating and now that she'd had some sleep, a chance to recover a little, she could truly appreciate just how much of a physical reaction his proximity caused. She ached for him. An unpleasant, torturous desire for his hands. The contact of his skin.

With her fingertips, she traced the line of his jaw and the bridge of his nose. Cautiously exploring the sharp features of his face. Trying to test the limits of what he would allow. She ran her index finger across his bottom lip with a feather light touch and revelled in the barely suppressed shudder that overtook him. He opened his mouth and took the digit between his teeth. Nipping lightly at it.

"I could get used to these kind of wake ups, Shrimp," He teased her and she laughed.

"You weren't even asleep," She rebuked, kissing him again. A sad smile on her face.

It felt so natural now to be so close to him. Comfortable. It was difficult to believe how different their relationship had been just days ago. The previous tensions between them had gone, leaving a very different kind in its wake.

"I need to show you everything," She spoke quietly. So solemnly that Gajeel moved back to look at her fully. Her eyes were hopeful. He was aware now that she wasn't going to try anything without him. But she _was_ going to try and convince him to let her continue. It was probably the most trust she'd shown. "Will you come with me?" She asked him. He knew he would. This was something he needed to know.

The walk up to the castle ruins unsettled Gajeel. He'd more senses available to him than most Humans. The gifts of Dragon Slayer magic. And the corroded, blackened stone honestly left him uneasy. He could smell death. What would surely be more than ten years later and the place still reeked. He didn't believe in ghosts, but what he thought he knew as fact had been tested so many times in the last few weeks he honestly didn't know what he believed anymore. What he knew about the castle was that the sooner they could leave, the easier he'd sleep.

She sat in the courtyard in the dirt. Even in the years since, nothing had grown here. The soil was barren. The entire place was dead.

"My grandfather took my grandmothers name, McGarden because he didn't want to be associated with his father anymore. By that point Calus had already driven his own wife to suicide. Killed most of his relations out of paranoia. I...still can't figure out how, despite everything, my grandfather turned out to be a good man," Gajeel listened intently. Levy took out a canteen of water and offered it the Dragon Slayer.

"Calus wasn't happy. His only son spurning him like that. When he found out his daughter-in-law was pregnant, he murdered his own son. My father was born in a dungeon," Levy pulled out the book and sat it on her lap, staring at it with an intensity Gajeel had never seen her express. "This book was Calus' last joke," She laughed ruefully. "Named after the prison he left my father and grandmother in to rot. The Walled Garden. Cultivating misery," She spat.

"Why keep them alive? " The Dragon Slayer asked.

"For the blood," She opened the book and paced her fingers against the pages. Words in a language he didn't know seemed to burn their way out of her skin, running in lines down into the paper. Gajeel inched closer as she winced. The process causing her pain. "There's a price to pay. Magic always has its costs. When Calus found out about my father, he knew he no longer had to pay it himself. The council only came for him when he caused the destruction of his home town. They knew what was going on but they didn't care until it was too late. Wasn't their problem once it was just in my family but as soon as they had to clean up the mess? My father thought we'd left it all behind us, but it seemed to keep following us," She huffed breathlessly.

She gestured around them. "The man who lived here thought of himself like some kind of royalty, but he wasn't anything more than a wealthy thug. We'd seen a lot of them over the years With armies wandering in and staking their claim on these lands, it meant these old castles would see new owners every couple of winters. He was just the latest",

"I take it he wasn't sold on the idea of giving that up?" Gajeel finished her train of thought.

"No," She admitted. "He wasn't. And when he found out who we were he decided he liked the idea of infinite power. To hell with where it came from, or what it cost to get it," She looked to a point about ten feet from where Gajeel was standing. "They killed my father there," She pointed. "Someone told him he only needed my father's blood to use the book, so my mother burned the body to ash before they could get a drop of it," She spoke calmly. As though she were describing something mundane.

Gajeel had experienced things growing up that no child should ever have to. After he found himself alone he'd done what he had to to survive, and it changed him. Hardened him to suffering. The knowledge that the woman who was always smiling, was harbouring this type of horror was beyond his understanding. How anyone could experience that kind of darkness and not fall to it gave him new meaning to the term inner strength.

"They killed her next, right where your standing," She choked. "Then it was just me and Maeve," She paused. "And they only needed one of us," The memory looked like it was slipping out of reach. She strained to recall. "When she stopped screaming, she started singing. That was her magic. Music and song. She could make it do things. Even heal." Levy remembered almost dying, until her sisters voice called her back.

"She put everyone to sleep and we ran. There are caves and caverns all over this area. The castle sewer opens up into them. They caught her while she was getting me out." She was resolute; taking a deep breath and locking eyes with him.

"When they tried to use the book, the castle was obliterated. Most of the people here, left. They believe these ruins are cursed. They probably are. I can't explain how I know, I really wish I could, Gajeel, but she's still alive," She held a hand over her chest. "I can _feel_ it."

Gajeel understood. For possibly the first time.

"Have you thought about what that might mean, Shrimp?" Levy looked at him confusedly. "If she _is_ alive, she's been in that place for _years_. If she is there, even if you get her back, she might not be yer sister anymore," He reasoned. It caused her visible distress to hear it, but Gajeel knew it needed to be said.

"I'll deal with that, if I get her back," She said in response.

Gajeel sighed. There was one more thing he needed to know. After all, Levy had waited years to get to this point and now seemed to be the right time to be asking.

"What's with the manuscript?" He asked, changing the subject.

"I can use it so only me, or someone from my family can pass through. If I open the well, I don't want anything else going in or coming out," Truthfully, that came as something of a relief to the Dragon Slayer. "The lost seal keeps growing once activated and it'll collapse anything inside it within a few minutes, it'll close the breach," She put the book away sighing in relief as the words disappeared from her skin. "But not before I toss this fucking thing through it."

She didn't need to go on. Gajeel took a breath unable to really believe he was going to do this. He laughed inside. Already regretting it.

"Okay."

She looked up to the Dragon Slayer and he extended a hand to her, pulling her to her feet. She looked like she'd misheard him. He smiled at her.

"Let's do somethin' stupid then, gihi."

* * *

Dinner was a low key affair. Sliced tomato and cheese with slightly stale bread and ham. There was only cold running water in the cottage and the lacrima lights had long since died out, so they ate in flickering fire light. It would have been moderately romantic in any other circumstances. An amusing thought not lost on Levy. First candlelight supper.

No one had turned up on the doorstep yet, so it seemed her theory about them tracking her magic was right. Even _if_ they came here looking for them, they would more than likely just check her family home, not bothering to go further a field in the search. She could have gone anywhere as far as they could know.

After eating, Levy took to her books to prepare while Gajeel made the small house as secure as he could with the nails and wood he'd found in the garden shed outside; barricading the windows and doors till morning, just in case. It was late when he finished but Levy still sat reading. Meticulously going over everything. All bar one of the candles having burned out.

The Dragon Slayer plucked the book from her hands and set it aside.

"We should get some sleep," His voice came out with a distinctive husk that told Levy she may be getting less sleep than his words were implying. She stood and stretched a little. Her shoulder was tight but rapidly healing and the stiffness was fading with each day. She watched him disappear into the bedroom and with a deep, nervous breath she followed.

She took the same position in the bed as before. Facing him while he examined her. When he leaned in to kiss her she turned to putty in his hands. His tongue left her weak kneed and even weaker willed. There was something exhilarating about being with him right now. Tomorrow everything could go wrong, the price of failure far higher than she should be comfortable with. The afternoon had been emotionally draining and opened more old wounds than she cared to count. She needed to feel just a moment without some kind of despair or guilt.

She absently registered his hands as they caressed from her ribs to her hip before slipping around to grip her rear and press her against him. Hard enough that she could feel the hot growing bulge straining his pants. She gasped into his mouth as her hips connected with his. It was like lightning how fast the dynamic between them kept changing. A kiss igniting something that burned so hot it couldn't be extinguished. Suddenly her hands were in his hair, pulling tightly. Her body arching and grinding into his. Looking for as much contact, as much friction as he'd allow. He moaned, breaking back from her lips. She could see him grit his teeth. Eyes closed in focus.

"We probably shouldn't be doin' this," He rasped. His words were growled out. Uncertain and not entirely sure why. Second guessing his decision to pursue this. She was hurting, looking for even the briefest reprieves from herself and he was a selfish man. He wasn't good for her and this wouldn't save her from anything. This was just a distraction. "I don't love you. This won't _mean_ anything."

She didn't recoil from him like he wanted her too. He'd been expecting to see horror and pain in her eyes as she back away but there was only an acceptance that cut into him more than it should. Her hands didn't falter. Instead, she looped one leg over his hips and nipped at his earlobe, small hands fisting in his shirt pulling herself flush against him.

"It doesn't _have_ to mean anything to _you_ ," She whispered and the last of Gajeel's reservations fled. He flipped the woman underneath him in the bed with a speed that made her gasp, crushing her lips with his own. He slid one hand up her thigh and under her stained, rumpled orange dress, stroking bare skin. His fingers moved high enough to pinch and tease her breasts under the material and her breathing faltered at the sensation. She pulled at his pants and he growled at her, lacing his fingers in hers, pinning her arms to the bed while he moved his mouth along the smooth curve of her neck. When he'd reach a particularly sensitive place she would arch up into him. Pull her arms against his, trying to free herself. Feel more of him. He dragged his teeth over those spots till her breathing was raspy and she couldn't speak beyond mumbles.

"Please..." She whispered into his ear and he sat back on his knees. His hands kneading into her hips hard enough to leave a mark. He pierced her with a look so smouldering she almost couldn't meet it, before he pulled her underwear down, sliding them quickly over her knees. He slipped his pants down as far as his thighs, freeing himself. There was little ceremony or care when he sharply thrust into her and she yelped.

He thrust once more before he realized just how tense she'd become; core squeezing him almost painfully. Her face was a tight, almost tortured look of determined focus. When she opened her eyes he saw just how much they'd teared up. He made to pull away but she locked her ankles behind him. Shaking her head.

"Please don't stop,"

He paused. Wide eyed and horrified when he realized what was going on.

" _You should've said_!" He grunted to her under his breath.

Sex wasn't meant to be painful; even the first time with enough foreplay shouldn't _hurt_. Her first should have been slow, languid. It shouldn't have been with him. Rough and domineering, hard, calloused hands. The type of women he'd attracted to him had been ones who liked his unapologetic pace.

He wasn't prepared for this, although he really should have known. Or at least suspected. He was an idiot. She deserved better than this and she should have known that too. He pulled back slowly, watching her expression change. He moved slower, leaning over her resting on his elbows. He touched her forehead with his. It was so foreign a sensation; moving like he was, but his patience was rewarded when he felt her nails along his back and felt her finally rock her hips gently into him. Beginning to meet his thrusts. He let a hand travel between them and leisurely glided a finger through her womanhood, circling her gently while he moved. Levy was altogether quiet, but when she came, she screamed out. Clutching at the pillow under her head.

Gajeel didn't think any sight could be sweeter than the expression on her face at that. As though, for a moment everything she'd been carrying had been let go. Released to the wind. He kissed her softly as she slowly came back from the precipice. She smiled at him and, experimentally, he drove himself into her just that bit harder. Her legs tightened around him but her smile never faltered, and he let that be the sign to pick up the pace. Underneath him she was panting as his thrusts grew more and more frantic. She ran her hands through his hair and tugged, pulling him down to meet her lips. The feel of her mouth on his taking him to his own climax.

His heart was beating faster than it had ever had before when he lowered himself beside her. Drinking in the flush of her skin and the bed tussled hair as she lay there utterly exhausted. He traced his fingers over her shoulder and the wound that was scarring there. She didn't seem to notice, turning to look at him, red faced and smiling like everything in the world for once was right.

And Gajeel knew then it had been a lie.

Because he truly _did_ love her, and this had meant more to him than he wanted to believe.

* * *

Notes

Thank you for the fav homopotato and suicuneluvr for the review and the fav.

Ihatemyjob1 - That means so much to me! Thank you! :)

Rachel3003 - Hopefully where I'm going isn't going to disappoint.

suicuneluvr- Gajevy is my literal all time favorite pairing. Hope I can do them justice.

I know its cliche to have Levy be the blushing virgin and all but I think it really does tie in with her character. On that note I wanted to portray a slightly more realistic first time. Its not always quite so romantic.

As a side note, and this comes up so many times in so many stories, the hymen isn't a barrier, more like a little bit of tissue that's actually gradually worn away by the time you come out of adolescence. Most active girls won't actually experience a hymen tear their first time because its probably been lost to sports or worn by general masturbation beforehand. Truthfully, if you're in pain your first time there has not been enough foreplay and you're either nervous or just not lubricated enough. Probably both. The vagina is capable of stretching to accommodate a baby. Dude, your penis is not too much for it to handle. Any bleeding is generally on account of some other injury in the canal. In this case, Gajeel isn't exactly used to the kind of care that's required a girls first time round and he jumps the gun a bit.

Next update might be a little while arriving so I just want to leave you with this,

'I will be back!'

Much love,

Moonbeam


	12. Chapter 11

Levy was awake before dawn. A dull ache between her thighs that she was hoping would fade if she ignored it long enough. Beside her, Gajeel was asleep; actually, genuinely sleeping. His hair was everywhere. It was a wild, black blanket that covered more of him than the actual sheets. Levy couldn't imagine having hair that long. The bother of it always in the way. Even at her current short length she was always brushing strands out of the way to read. She had to laugh at it as he lay there, snoring softly, one arm casually resting across her stomach. Drowning under the waves of tangled hair in desperate need of some TLC and a good brushing.

A part of her had been worried she would feel differently in the morning but to her surprise, she didn't regret sharing the night with him. Things were far from ideal, and their feelings were both very complicated. She knew he was fairly casual about sex, far more than she was, and he'd made it clear it wasn't going to mean more to him than a good time. Just like she knew in that regard they differed. But as much as Levy could determine, both parties criteria had been met. Gajeel got a willing, if somewhat embarrassingly inexperienced partner, and she spent her first time with someone she happened to have strong feelings for. She refused to hold onto the false hope that they could ever be anything more. But he did care. She could see that. Maybe it was for the best that he didn't necessarily feel more for her. The process she'd described was more dangerous than she may have led him to believe, and it hinged on one thing she hadn't mentioned to him at all.

Someone would have to _enter_ the well to look for Maeve. There was a possibility that that in itself was a death sentence. But Levy was going to find out. In a terrible way she was grateful he didn't ask. Thankful that she'd had a night with him, however awkward it had turned out to be. She wished there could be a do over. Her mind slid back to the sensation of his teeth lightly grazing her skin and she felt the ache fade to a different kind of throbbing.

Arousal was an altogether unfamiliar experience for her, at least the sort of whole body, trembling at the thought of him, type of arousal Gajeel seemed to invoke. At the forefront of her mind was the memory of his hands on her and it made her quiver with need. The thought crossed her mind that this might be the last time she spent with him, and she felt so incredibly selfish, not wanting it to end. She couldn't have a do over, life didn't work like that. But that didn't necessarily mean she couldn't redeem her blunder in some way.

She couldn't say what exactly stilled her nerves enough to even consider it, but before she could second guess herself, she'd rolled Gajeel onto his back. Straddling him by the waist. He woke up, momentarily confused and a little disoriented to find her sitting over him but she could see his face run through everything from surprise to something bordering excitement as he took in the sight of her. He opened his mouth to say whatever it was he was thinking but clamped it shut when she slipped the straps of her dress down, exposing her bare chest to him and reaching down to unbutton his pants. Levy was grateful for the yearly contraceptives Erza convinced them all to take as she gripped his hardening shaft and gave a tentative, firm stroke.

The alternative to the foul smelling potion was not something she wanted to have to consider for some time to come.

When Gajeel closed his eyes and made a noise at the back of his throat that wasn't quite a gasp, or a growl, the last of Levy's reservations fled. She felt herself shudder at the very thought that she could render him speechless. Infinitely more confident, she positioned him carefully and lowered herself down. It was still such a foreign feeling but the new position and control made it a far more enjoyable process. She did it centimeter by centimeter; her muscles clenching and unclenching around him. From the look on his face it wasn't something he was used to; having someone go so maddeningly slow.

" _Fucking' hell.._."

She smiled deviously and rose up a little. Gajeel's hands snapped to her thighs, gripping hard. His breathing was suddenly raspy. The position of power made Levy feel more self-assured. Wanton. Closing her eyes she found his hands with her own and dragged them around to her stomach. Slowly, she brought them up and over her breasts, arching into his palms and lowering herself just a little bit further. Positive that he wasn't about to throw her out of the bed, she pulled the dress over her head completely, rendering her completely nude and Gajeel dry mouthed. When she found the strength to open her eyes, he was staring at her as though it were the first time he was seeing her. Watching her intently. He honestly could see nothing else. And by the time she started moving, he was wild. Barely holding onto the last threads of control.

She timidly began rolling her hips before gradually increasing the pace when she found a steady rhythm. Intertwining her fingers in his, he allowed her to use his strength as leverage. The feeling of holding each others hands was a new level of intimacy they'd so far yet to experience. When he came, he did so arching off the bed. Bucking against her. Into her. Cursing.

Gajeel lay there for a minute, unsure why that had happened but totally void of any and all complaints that it had. He found he really, _really_ liked this new type of sex.

"Your wake ups are getting better every day, Shrimp," He couldn't help laughing when he finally found the voice to speak. "Though, I'm gonna ask what that was all about,"

Levy moved off him slowly. The throbbing had lessoned significantly. She smiled at him, climbing out of the bed to clean up in the bathroom. She made sure he couldn't see the sadness she was desperately trying to conceal.

"An apology, maybe?" She offered from the adjoining room.

"Please, annoy me more often," Gajeel muttered out of hearing, a grin stuck to his face. In the bathroom he could hear her humming. He wasn't sure how he was going to get used to things once they went home. She'd more than likely go back to her apartment and he would continue to languish in his house with a possibly still sullen Lily, all the while missing the way she smelled, or the sound of her laughter, the feel waking up wrapped around her. The sight of her trying to reach for things that would be frequently too high for her and the way that made her flush angrily. He wasn't sure how he was going to live without it. There was a growing tight ache in his chest at the thought. He'd told her he didn't love her. Told her. Explicitly. Even though he knew it wasn't true. Maybe it was never true, but lying to himself was a skill he'd mastered. It boggled his mind that she was still in his life. He didn't fucking deserve it.

When she came out, skin covered in goosebumps, tinted red from the cold water, wrapped in nothing but a towel, he almost lost all reason. She was breathtakingly beautiful. To have never told her that before was a crime. Big hazel eyes, pale skin and incredible legs. Gajeel watched her hips sway and was suddenly in need of a cold shower for more than the obvious reasons.

The shower helped clear his head, if only for a couple of minutes. The water was freezing cold and it succeeded in focusing his mind back toward the task at hand. When he emerged a good twenty minutes later, Levy was dressed and in the kitchen already trying to put together some kind of breakfast. Gajeel opening winced when he realized he was officially out of all clean clothes. He could only crinkle his nose at the cleanest shirt he had. The worst part of any lengthy mission was eventually smelling like old sweaty socks. He washed a few pieces in the hand basin with cold water and some soap, knowing it was probably only going to be a stop gap and ven as they hung to dry, he could still get the faint smell of sweat from them. With nothing clean to change into, Gajeel wandered back into the bedroom aiming for the closet. The people when they'd left, had left a lot of things, personal and otherwise, he was hoping to find a shirt or two that might fit him. Or something at least while his clothes dried.

Opening the closet Gajeel frowned, stepping back. It was full. Shoes still neatly organized at the bottom. Absolutely nothing looked like it had been touched. As if the people in this house just disappeared, leaving everything behind them. Gajeel huffed. That didn't sit well with him. He wondered if all the other houses were like this one. What exactly had happened here after the castle was destroyed?

* * *

It didn't surprise him, though it unsettled him deeply, to find out she was planning to do this in the ruin's courtyard. Explaining that the fabric of reality itself was thinner there, since they'd already opened the breach once before. He supposed it made sense. A horribly unfortunate kind of sound logic.

He waited while she organized everything. Impatient. Nervous. His instincts were very rarely wrong and he could feel the dark storm brewing on the horizon. This felt like a disaster in the making. He told himself it was just the castle. Just the ominous feeling in the place, but it was hard to deny the cold, clammy hand of dread telling something was going to go terribly wrong.

"Just about done. Just needs my name," She whispered to herself, writing on the manuscript with her light pen; from the length of the words Gajeel couldn't possibly believe that was all she wrote. The intricate series of cursive letters appearing in red at the center of the circular seal printed on it.

"Levy short for something?" The Dragon Slayer found himself asking. It was an unusual name to begin with.

"Yeah," She said, smiling. "Levane. No one ever called me that, though."

"So, officially, everyone you know has a nickname for you, _Shrimp_ ," Gajeel mocked.

Levy narrowed her eyes. "I _guess,"_ She replied, exasperated. "But that's the only name I give, so they don't _know_ that. So technically, yes, but not _exactly_ the same thing, _metal breath_."

Gajeel smiled at the nickname. It crossed his mind that he might be one of the only people, in Fairy Tail or otherwise, who actually knew her original name. There was something incredibly personal about that.

She picked up the book and with a considered movement of her fingers, an anchor and chain materialized into existence. The anchor stood as tall as Gajeel, sitting just beyond the boundary that would be marked by the seal. The length of chain running by her, about thirty foot long. From the size of it, the Dragon Slayer reckoned he'd need Dragon force to budge it a inch. He looked at the script mage, holding to glean any information that would tell him why she needed it, but she was already moving onto the next step: activating the seal.

When the spell came to life it was to a cracking sound like lightening, the hairs on Gajeel's neck stood up; the chain crossing the barrier sparked and vibrated, resonating with magic at the point it passed through. Only allowed passage through her invisible wall because it was a part of her; her magic.

The Dragon Slayer knew that they would be detected, but they only needed minutes. Whoever was chasing them would be able to locate them but it was his hope that by the time they got here there would be nothing to find. This was going to work or it wouldn't.

On the other side of the barrier, Levy was wrapping the chain loosely around her waist. Gajeel growled lunging forward, only to collide with the seal.

"What the _fuck_ are yeh doin'?" He practically snarled. It suddenly dawned on him that his instincts might not have been wrong on this one.

When she turned she had an apologetic look on her face. She opened the first page of the book and closed her eyes in concentration. Gajeel watched black glyphs seep through her skin, moving down into the pages. Spreading in blots like a disease. With her light pen she etched a single word in air.

 _Open._

The space around the word seemed to crack and bubble. Darkening like an inky stain on reality itself. It grew at a phenomenal rate, so fast that Gajeel took two steps back from the barrier. Nervous to imagine it failing.

"Someone has to go in and find her. _I_ have to go,"

The breach tore the world apart, the very air beyond the wall began billowing into it, not unlike a puncture in existence, everything inside the seal was being sucked toward the absolute darkness of the void. Reality deflating in the face of utter horror. Gajeel could hear things he couldn't possibly name emanating from across the opening. Screams of torment. The sounds of tearing flesh and crunching bone. It was a place of nightmares.

"You can't go in there," He beat iron claws against the wall separating them. His voice was desperate. "It'll _kill_ you," He absently realized he was shouting; he no longer cared.

"I left her behind..." Her voice broke. "He had her for three months, Gajeel, three months before he tried using the book," She looked back into the darkness and he could see how terrified it left her. Her hands were shaking despite the grip she held on the chain. The blackness was reaching out to her, trying to drag her in.

In the growing tension, Gajeel was beginning to hear a voice singing, like a siren call. He could see it pull at the script mage. Strengthening her resolve.

"She's alive, and I'm going to get her back. I'm not going to leave her again,"

"But you'd leave me?" The words came out before he could stop himself from saying them. He panicked. Trying to backtrack. A part of him still unwilling to tell her the truth. "You're full of shit," He growled out. "If yeh really loved me you wouldn't be doin' this."

She was inching her self closer to the opening, using the chain to control her movements as the vacuum sucked and pulled at her. She turned to him. Her expression was furious. He couldn't tell if it was toward him, or herself.

"You can't be in love with someone who doesn't love you back. That's not love. Thats-thats _delusion_!" She practically screamed at him in frustration. The roar of the wind as it was swallowed into the chasm was making it difficult for even Gajeel to hear her. "You'll be better off if I'm not around to complicate things. You _don't_ need to pretend you're losing anything more than a meaningless fling,"

She stepped through into darkness. Gajeel said the words but the deafening ambient noise swallowed it.

"IT WASN'T _MEANINGLESS_!" He screamed again but she'd already passed through out of reach. He fell to his knees, striking the seal so hard he cracked the iron on his fists. As soon as the book had crossed into the void, the wind stopped. The chain from the anchor had been pulled taut. And Gajeel was left alone, with so, so many regrets.

* * *

Notes

Big thank you to **Desna, InuKagomeLuver4Eva** and **lrcortiz** for the favs.

 **SailorSilentEarth** \- Thank you! I'm trying my best to work the information in gradually rather than dump it all at once. Lol pretty tricky at times. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

 **Rachel3003** \- I'm not sure there's a prudish bone in my body, to be honest. I think shaming and shunning sex to begin with is why there are so many problems these days with consent and boundaries, just general ignorance surrounding it. There's absolutely nothing wrong about sex between adults, not at all.

I've also noted that there's this general consensus that sex needs to be a race to an orgasm for it to be enjoyable. It doesn't. Plenty of good times to be had without. Especially if you really like the person you're with.

Sorry about the slower updates. Work is kicking my ass. Lol

And my apologies about the cliffhanger. :/

Drop me a review if you've a minute. Love to hear peoples' thoughts.


	13. Chapter 12

He stayed kneeling, fists pulling up sods of grass and earth, beating the ground until it started quaking beneath him. It took him a second to realize that that wasn't on account of him. No, it was an actual earthquake. A loose layer of stone from the top of the remnant of wall, came crashing down around him. The ruins of the castle crumbling even further. In front of him, he watched the fissure grow in size. At first, by inches, easy to miss, and then by feet. Up until it touched the seal and the Dragon Slayer thought his hearing had been permanently damaged with the bone cracking thunder that the collision caused.

But Levy's seal held and the hole in reality stopped growing. A part of Gajeel desperately had been hoping it would fail so he could go in there and drag that stupid woman out. Get her back. But no, the script mage had spent her life researching this. Knew it better than anyone else. Was probably the smartest woman in Fiore. The magical shield she'd erected was solid. Strong enough it seemed to hold the very world together if needs be.

"It's beautiful isn't it?"

The Dragon Slayer spun toward the voice, surprised to see a well dressed man walking into the courtyard clutching a black lacrima; absently tossing it back and forth between his hands. Narrowed eyes fixated on the opening into the well.

"Who the _fuck_ are you?" Gajeel snarled dangerously. It would be absolutely the easiest thing in the world for him to pour all the turbulent feelings clawing at him, into a fight. He almost salivated at the thought. And he wasn't getting a peaceful aura from this one.

"Oh, just a concerned local," He shrugged. "I was just so curious,"

The man stood no taller than Natsu, wearing a dark purple tunic and hair cut so short he was practically bald. But his most noticeable feature was the white mask he wore. Like a character from a theatre, its face twisted into a sinister frown.

"I suggest you find a new hobby," Gajeel growled. This was no local farmer.

"Oh no! I think this is exactly where I need to be," He seemed positively excited as he approached the seal, though he wisely made sure to keep his distance from Gajeel. The masked man placed his hand on the barrier and pulled it back as though it burned him.

"Absolutely incredible. Such a talented mage Levane turned out to be," He shook his head, disbelievingly.

Gajeel bristled at the use of Levy's birth name. The name she'd told no one but him. With a glare that could melt steel, the Dragon Slayer's hand formed a long, jagged blade.

"I ain't goin' to say it a second time," Gajeel warned. His voice promised murder but there was an aching, empty feeling in his chest. A knowledge that the satisfaction he would reap from mindless violence wouldn't be nearly enough if she didn't come back to him. He felt as though he were currently dying. And it was agonizingly painful. He should have told her he loved her. Maybe it would have been enough to stop her. The notion that it might have been that simple made him want to rip all his hair out at the roots. Scream until he was hoarse.

"I don't think I will," The man withdrew the lacrima again and placed it in the grass next to the seal. The surface of the crystal glowing with an unearthly green light. "Levane's death was pointless," Gajeel cut him with a look of such visceral hatred it should have choked the man. "Just like her sister's," The man dragged a single finger across his throat. "I left her with a parting smile before the darkness took her. I don't know what it was our dear little friend was chasing...but her sister is dead."

Even with his ears still slightly ringing, he heard the sound of the blade being drawn. He didn't bother moving, instead just hardening his iron skin. It came from behind him, a typical cowards tactic. Unfortunately for his attacker, it was the wrong place, the wrong time to be trying to kill him.

The sword struck Gajeel across the shoulders and shattered. Shards of steel exploded around him from the force. He was a statue of iron. Glaring daggers at the masked man. Who now clutched at his arm, blood from the shrapnel that had clipped him was running down his fingers. The arm hanging uselessly. Gajeel couldn't see his face under the mask but from the way he was backing up, the Dragon Slayer could tell he was suddenly concerned.

Gajeel's body began merging with the shadows. Darkness billowing around him. He bared teeth, suddenly too long, too sharp teeth, at the man. So very far removed from Human. It wouldn't bring her back but he was now willing to accept a single moment of blood soaked solace. Even if he had to tear them all apart to do get it. Around him, more people were arriving. He sensed their magic.

The anchor at his side groaned and he watched it shudder. The breach trying to drag it into its depths. With a motion of his hand, three iron spikes pinned it to the grass.

A woman with green hair in chainmail stepped up behind the masked man and he turned to her. His tone of voice was light, despite the weighty atmosphere and his injury.

"Sever the chain," He uttered.

Gajeel roared, feeding off the sudden smell of fear surrounding him. He knew it wasn't him that was scaring this assassins guild, no, the breach behind them was. They weren't stupid enough to miss the danger it represented. But it was unfortunate if they thought they were breaking the last physical link he had to Levy. He'd be dead before he let that happen. And _they_ would be dead, _long_ before that.

* * *

For what seemed like an eternity, Levy was blind, and deaf, and numb to her very own existence. She _was,_ only because she could remember _being,_ a living person held together by pure thought. The memory of sensation and smell, taste and the feeling of being wrapped in Gajeel's arms. Of being carried; cradled close to him. She focused on those things. Proofs that she was a living, breathing woman with a reason to live.

The more she told herself it was real, the more the numbness and darkness receded and she found herself lying on cold unforgiving stone. Her fingers still wrapped around the chain she'd been holding when she entered. Looking round it appeared she was in a cave; the only light source from a small crack in the stone ahead. She heard muffled voices then and with trembling hands she secured the chain around her tightly. Concentrating on the weight of it. Her only assurance of ever getting out of here. Looking down, the book lay at her feet. The letters on the cover had scrambled, and as she watched they moved and changed shape. Formed new words she couldn't read and letters from alphabets she didn't recognise. The voices grew clearer and with a heavy heart Levy remembered why this place felt so familiar. She watched her sister carry her younger, injured self toward the crack in the wall and sit her down carefully.

This was one of Levy's memories from that day. A thought made reality. The darker well was a place of energy. It would make sense that it only have a physical element if someone willed it so.

They were both covered in so much blood. Levy couldn't recall there being quite this much. The pair of them were so young. At the time her sister had always felt so much older than her. So much stronger. Braver. But as Levy watched Maeve claw and punch and pull at the stone, she realized just how young she'd still been. They were only children. Maeve was just a child. Another scared little girl cowering from the monsters. Levy walked closer to them. They ignored her presence, they were just figments of her memory after all. Nothing more. On closer inspection, Levy realized with horror where all of the blood had come from. A deep wound across her younger self's face and head. She'd been in a guild long enough to recognise the result of a glancing sword stroke when she saw it. She touched her fingertips to her head where the scar should have been and there was nothing. She'd known there was nothing. But there, in her memories she was, bleeding profusely. Despondent from blood loss.

Maeve was at her side then. Cradling her small pale form to hers while Levy watched her younger self still. The light fading from her eyes.

"I was dead?" The script mage's voice came out distorted, as though she were underwater. Her words shook. Breaking something inside her. She'd died. Been dead. The apparition didn't notice her speak.

She crouched down beside the pair and watched quietly as Maeve started to hum. Her tears flowing red, blood running from her nose. A light seeping from her into the younger Levy who blinked awake and alive; confused for a moment.

Something occurred then to Levy that hadn't before. She had no memory of dying. No real memory of being that injured. And if some of this wasn't from her memory, it could only have been from her sister's.

"Maeve..." The whispered name fell like a hammer on the illusion. The stone under her feet and to her sides cracking and falling away. Melting and reforming. She could feel something then. Something horrid and cold. Like the sensation of being watched. Being stalked. The well may not have been like Earthland, it didn't have hills or trees, but she doubted now that it was empty. There was something twisted in it. She felt its sick breath in the air. The chain around her waist pulled against her, reminding her of the time limit her seal was placing on this. Within minutes the breach would begin closing.

Stone walls crept up around her and she was with Maeve in the castle dungeons then. Her sister was alone and crying. They'd stripped her of her clothes and dressed her in the rags of the adult prisoners. The filthy tunic was so big on her it reached her ankles. Levy was witness to her sister's torment. Watched as men cut her sisters hair tight, and uneven. Fit a collar on her like a dog, preventing her from using her magic. Levy was numb watching them beat her. Silently, quietly filling with a rage that she couldn't adequately describe in any language she knew. All consuming. It burned into her bones.

"MAEVE!" She screamed out. "MAEVE!? I know you can hear me," Her legs were shaking. Levy sank down to her knees. Unable to bear the sight of it anymore. When she looked at her sister, Garron, the man who'd murdered her parents was watching while his men pulled out her fingernails. A blood covered rag over his face. Levy bared her teeth at him. She hoped it hurt. More than anything she hoped it hurt.

"You're never this real," A small voice croaked out. "Or old. Has it been so long?" Levy's eyes snapped immediately to the apparition of her sister.

The men around them were frozen in time. From beneath the weight of rusted chains, young brown eyes examined Levy. Her own were wide in shock. The script mage couldn't speak, instead scrambling on all fours, throwing herself at the image of her sister. Wrapping her arms around her, weeping ugly red tears. Small arms rose up and circled Levy's neck. The clink of chains as Maeve's clashed with Levy's. In much the same way that the well had brought one of Levy's darker memories to life, it had done so to Maeve. Years reliving the darker days of their lives. But Levy could sense it, her magic. So familiar and unmistakably hers. She could feel it. It was actually her.

The script mages arms were a vice around her sister. There would be nothing in the Universe that would pry her away now that she'd found her.

"I'm real, and I'm taking you home."

* * *

Notes

A huge thank you to everyone reviewing and the new followers. I feel kinda bad for making so many of you cry. :/

 **SailorSilentEarth** , **piranha pk** , **Desna** , and **Rachel3003**! You guys rule!


	14. Chapter 13

From that first slice, that first splash of red, Gajeel was lost to the violence. The man he'd become, evaporated like mist. He was a monster, always would be. The only person that had seen this side of him, truly experienced the extent of his cruelty and found it in them to love him, was lost at the end of that chain. She hadn't forgiven him because he'd changed, he'd changed because in some way he'd wanted to be worthy of the forgiveness and trust she'd extended to him. Makarov didn't know, couldn't have truly known what kind of man he'd been when he'd asked him to join Fairy Tail. He hadn't watched him smile while hurting the others. Gloat over the damage he was able to inflict.

Levy had had a front row seat to it. He'd almost killed her. And yet still she was one of the first at the guild to start speaking with him. She asked questions, and made jokes. She avoided topics about his past, hoping to spare his feelings. After all she'd seen him do, she still believed he could feel guilt and shame. Then the questions would be followed with just the ghosting of pink on her cheeks. The awkward, nervous laughs. When he was close enough to hear it, her heart would be beating so fast he mistakenly took it for terror. But for the deep blush. The smell of excitement.

The first time he'd realized she had feelings for him came as more than a shock. It was confusing and painful. He asked himself if the woman was stupid, despite knowing she was probably the smartest person he'd ever meet. He was still trying to straighten out the person he'd been, from the person he'd slowly started becoming, and it was just too much to deal with then. He knew now he'd panicked badly. Maybe he wanted to hate her just to prove he didn't deserve her affection.

Gods, but she was so _stubborn._ And fuck, he may have loved that about her, too. No matter what he said, he couldn't make her hate him. Couldn't extinguish that torch she carried. She wasn't the reason he joined Fairy Tail, but she was the reason he stayed. She was the reason he fought on despite the fact that people still didn't fully trust him.

Gajeel dodged a shaky swipe of a knife and struck the boy, because his opponent didn't look older than fifteen at most, he was certainly no man, square in the face with an iron fist. Shattering teeth and bone. The boy crumpling at his feet. Alive but badly injured. He was lucky. There were at least three or four who wouldn't be able to say the same.

The guild the masked man had hired were having difficulties dealing with a pissed off Dragon Slayer. They'd brought a lot of inexperienced members and it showed. Clearly they were really good at burning down houses but an unhinged Gajeel was just that little bit beyond them. Their teleporter was fast but predictable. Their swords weren't sharp enough or strong enough to pierce his skin. Their nerve wasn't hard enough to deal with both his shadows or the darkness of the void. The sounds emanating from the fissure were enough to shake _him_ and the guild were wilting in the face of it. The sight of him cutting through both their weapons and their people added to that; he could see their green haired leader falter in the face of a new kind of savagery.

There was a sick kind of exhilaration that came from the feeling of cutting through skin, ripping claws through flesh; Gajeel honestly hated how good it made him feel. How much it soothed him. At the back of his mind, he knew when Levy came back it would hurt her to see his handiwork. If she were here she'd be begging him to stop. The sight of him carving his way through them all would remind her of all the things he used to be, and as much as he didn't want her to see him like that, the flood gates had opened and he couldn't contain it anymore; the need to pick them apart. A relentless hate, and he hated them all. Though it could never be more than he hated hinself.

Eventually, it seemed as though enough was enough, and at some hidden signal, the remainder backed off, moving away from him. Their client, the masked man, screamed at them to stand their ground. To keep going. But Gajeel heard the woman in chainmail reproachfully sneer at him.

"You never mentioned anything about our targets being Fairy Tail, _forget_ about a psychotic Dragon Slayer," She turned her nose up at him. "Those kinds of targets are not so _cheaply bought._ You're on your own, Garron. Consider our contract _nullified,"_ Their hired teleporter appeared behind her and with a hand on her shoulder, they were both gone. Gajeel looked around and for the remaining opponents the scene was repeated. Until only him and the masked man remained. His bloodlust nowhere near satisfied.

Garron, that's what the assassins guild had called him, looked cheated. The old saying about getting what you paid for seemed appropriate. If you tell your assassins you're after a ninety pound script mage the price isn't going to be as high as telling them they're after a ninety pound script mage from Fairy Tail. If there was one thing their guild had, it was a reputation.

"Don't think I'll be so easy to be rid of!"

Gajeel brushed the damp hair out of his face just so the man could clearly see the look of utter disbelief in his eyes. With his skin returned to its normal tanned complexion, the blood was much easier to see. Gajeel felt it thickly on his hands and clinging to his hair and scalp. It covered him. More than a splash or two. He looked like he'd bathed in it. When the Dragon Slayer laughed at him it was startlingly sinister. He threw his head back and howled, feeling like he could pull this man's limbs off and not lose a minute of sleep. It appeared that no matter how far from his Phantom days he moved, the old Gajeel was still always there, just under the surface.

"Is that so?" He growled. Slowly tipping his chin down toward his chest and narrowing his eyes to glare. The man ran to the seal and picked up the lacrima he'd placed there. Displaying it threateningly. Gajeel didn't so much as flinch. Garron held the crystal in the palm of his hand and pointed it at the chain that was still dangling into the breach.

"Its already absorbed more than enough to deal with you," He echoed confidentally.

Before Gajeel could react a bolt of black lightning shot out, striking the chain. Time seemed to slow. It passed, instant by instant. The links glowing red hot before exploding. In a moment of horror he watched the chain break and be ripped away into the darkness.

"LEVY!" Gajeel roared, voice breaking, watching her only hope of escape slip into oblivion. He turned, snapping his jaws, snarling, only to be struck by a bolt of the same black lightning. It passed through him setting every nerve on fire. He'd been struck by electrical discharge before, but this was different. The pain was so intense it sent him to his knees. The corners of his vision tinged with black as he fought to stay conscious.

On his hands and knees Gajeel retched into the dirt. The after effects of the attack left him dizzy and weak. A burning smell in his nostrils that he vaguely realized was himself. He watched the lacrima be raised again and absently wondered if there was an afterlife, but doubted he would end up wherever she was.

Gajeel closed his eyes but the pain never came. He heard the crack, the discharge, but nothing landed.

When he looked up, he was greeted with a sight he never in his life thought he'd be happy to see. Standing between them, crackling with both black lightning and his own, Laxus was there, arms crossed, looking unimpressed.

"We have about five minutes before the council show," He turned back to Gajeel, far from sympathetic with the Dragon Slayer's current status. "So get up, goth princess, and pull your shit together," Another bolt of black electricity shot towards him and Laxus outstretched a hand and absorbed it. Wincing in distaste. "That's absolutely fucking foul."

Gajeel looked toward the fissure, staring into empty space. Waiting, hoping to see a head of blue hair but there was nothing. And without the chain, there more than likely would never be.

The masked man held out the lacrima again, concentrating, but nothing happened. It was still glowing with power but it no longer responded to him.

"Damn you! WORK!" He screamed in frustration. The confidence in his eyes replaced with terror.

"Pathetic..." Laxus hit him with a bolt of his own magic and the man dropped like a ton of twitching bricks, the lacrima rolling from his hands. The lightning Dragon Slayer wobbled a little with the effort of the attack. Despite the fact that it was barely a half charged shot. Laxus looked altogether green in the face. He looked to Gajeel. "I'll let you slide this time. Whatever that was, wasn't lightning," He glanced around trying to steady himself.

"Where's the french fry?" He naturally assumed she would be close by.

Gajeel tried in vain to keep the tortured look from his face as he turned toward the gaping, screaming tear in reality.

"Holy shit! Seriously?" Gajeel couldn't bring himself to speak, he simply nodded, eyes continuously being drawn back to the well. The seal was doing what it was designed for and was gradually shrinking the fissure. The door was closing. And with it, the only chance of getting her back. Laxus touched the barrier and recoiled when it singed his fingers.

Gajeel sucked in a breath. With no one left to fight, the adrenaline was fading and his hands had begun shaking. He finally found the strength to form words.

"It's literally holdin' reality together, we ain't gettin' through it," Gajeel told him. Laxus knew that that meant she was on her own.

The guild master's grandson looked down at the man now attempting to crawl away. He stepped on his leg preventing him from moving any further. The man squirmed, yelping in pain.

"What do we do with this one?" He asked Gajeel.

"Thinkin' about killin' him..." The Iron Dragon admitted seriously. The man, Garron began clawing uselessly at the dirt, trying to get out from under Laxus' boot

"Not sure the old man would like that," Laxus argued, but Gajeel was done playing the nice guy.

"If the Shrimp doesn't walk back outta that thing before it closes, then that guy ain't gonna see another sunrise. I'm done carin' about what other people think," He meant every single word of it. Laxus didn't bother arguing. Dragon Slayers tended to all share certain characteristics. If they set their mind on something then there wasn't a whole lot you could do to convince them to change it.

Unable to do anything other than watch, the hole began to close. Gajeel vaguely became aware that his heart was trying to burst out of his chest. He hit the seal with an iron fist and closed his eyes against the pain it now caused on contact. The only thing capable of getting through this thing was Levy. The very thing he needed to break through it, to retrieve. At the very least he needed to give her a chance.

Gajeel looked to Laxus, the man was leaning against her anchor looking stoic. An idea struck him then.

"Move!"

Gajeel made his fist a blade and began sheering the hunk of steel down to something light enough to lift. Then attaching a chain of his own making to it. Wrapping the end around his waist. Laxus caught on pretty quickly and took a position behind Gajeel, doing the same.

The Iron Dragon Slayer tossed her anchor through the seal and watched it be sucked into oblivion. Their feet began slipping almost immediately from the force exerted at the end of the link. Gajeel could see his chain being worn away by the barrier. Using her anchor had been a way to try and trick it into believing they were one and the same but his chain was his own magic, and the anchor was hers. The wall knew the difference and he could see it wasn't going to last.

"You feel that?" Laxus asked and Gajeel smiled. Actually smiled.

The anchor had grown heavier. Something was trying to climb out. Despite never being one to trust to hope, Gajeel could feel it at his core. It was her. He knew it was. The Dragon Slayers began pulling. Laxus straining at the back while Gajeel drove iron spikes from his feet into the earth for traction.

Some one started coming through, but to Gajeel's confusion, it was a head of brown hair he saw first, not blue. As he watched, a figure appeared out of the darkness. One he didn't recognise. He watched the woman clear the breach and he pulled the chain again, almost holding his breath, waiting for the blue hair he was hoping to see.

The moments waiting for her were the longest, most trying of his life. The gap had narrowed so significantly he wouldn't have fit himself, and even with both him and Laxus pulling with all their might, they were making progress measured in inches. He didn't know to who, but Gajeel prayed.

A hand burst put of the blackness, followed by a second, and the instant Gajeel saw her face he felt his eyes water in relief. With a renewed effort Laxus and him increased the pace. Falling into a joint rhythm. She'd stopped trying to climb and focused on holding on as they pulled. The forces trying to drag them back down were now too strong. The smaller the gap, the greater the pressure. The seal passed over the first figure on the chain and the woman let go, falling to the grass in relief. Curling into a ball away from the sun.

Levy's face was twisted in concentration. Her knuckles white with the grip she had on the chain. When her feet had cleared the void, the Dragon Slayers stopped pulling and held position. The seal passed over her with a crackle, her hair standing out with the static charge, and she fell onto her back with a pained scream. Gajeel rushed forward, ignoring the first figure and falling to his knees beside Levy. Her breathing was labored and when he truly looked at her he could see bruises begin to form. The chain, the first one, it looked like it had hit her when it was severed and slung back into the well. Her stomach, and legs and chest were covered in marks.

"You might have a broken rib or two, Shrimp. Stay still," She opened her eyes then and looked at him. Her smile made it all feel worth it, even though he knew it probably hadn't been. Wherever he touched her he left a bloody print on her clothes and skin. The drying crimson stains even more noticeable on her pale, bruising flesh.

Gingerly he knelt down and picked her up. Laxus watching with bemused interest at the care Gajeel took holding her. The brown haired woman shook in the grass. Trembling uncontrollably. Her body going into some form of shock. She'd passed through the barrier and that could only mean one thing. Laxus checked her briefly for injuries, tilting his head at Gajeel, who looked down to Levy and grinned.

"Guess you've a lot of 'I told you so's to give out, short stuff."

In the chaos and panic of the last few minutes they'd ignored the masked man. Garron was now only finding his feet after Laxus' thunderbolt, but he didn't run. Instead he stared at the brown haired figure in the grass.

"You're dead..." The hushed words barely left the man's throat and the woman's head shot up. Her eyes wide in recognition. Her expression bordering feral. Limbs still seizing she tried to stand but only got as far as her knees before collapsing to all fours panting with the exertion. Seeing her, Garron turned to flee but a hand gripped him by the collar. Mest teleporting into his path, snatching him up.

"We've been looking for you for quite a while, Lord Garron. We hadn't really expected you to return to your old habits, and in your old home no less,"

Mest fit him with cuffs and to the Dragon Slayer's confusion, he looked almost relieved by that. Gajeel realized then just what significance the man with the mask actually had. This was the man who murdered her family. Tortured her sister. Hurt her so badly that even now she had nightmares.

The council's agent looked to Laxus.

"The book?" He asked.

"No longer a problem," was Laxus' answer, and that seemed good enough for him. Giving Laxus a head start had been a rash call, but it had worked out in the end.

Mest pushed Garron down to the dirt.

"If you run, I'll kill you. If you try anything unsavory, I'll let _him_ kill you, understood?" The man nodded quickly. Mest snatched off the man's mask and pocketed the black lacrima. A pathetic attempt to look more dangerous than the snivelling opportunist he was. Under the mask, three jagged scars ran down his face.

The teleporter pulled out a second set of cuffs. Gajeel took a step back, growling.

"I have orders to arrest her, Gajeel," Mest said sternly. Approaching the man cautiously.

The air grew tense before Laxus burst out laughing.

"You gotta be kidding, right?" The lightning Dragon Slayer looked around them pointing out what was left of the guild that had arrived and left before any of them even turned up. There were pieces of them scattered around. Gajeel had butchered them. Mest was only now noticing.

"If it were up to me it'd be a warrant _each._ For both of you," The council spy grumbled. "But it wasn't my call," He squared his shoulders. "Makarov vouched for you, but _she_ comes with me,"

"She ain't goin' anywhere but a healer, fuck face," Gajeel snarled. He hadn't gone through all of that just for the magic council to take her away from him.

Upon closer inspection Mest could see just how injured she was. He had his flaws but heartless bastard wasn't one of them. She was drifting in and out of consciousness cradled in Gajeel's arms.

"My orders were to bring her in alive, so fine. Healer first,"

No one was looking when Maeve stood up, eyes still fixed on Garron. She fumbled with the collar she was wearing. Age had finally caught up with her, the childish image in the well had grown into that of an adult woman, and the restraint around her neck had frayed with the jump in time. She pulled at it screaming, the leather catch snapping. And the thing falling into the grass. Garron scurried backwards shaking his head. Standing up they could clearly see the faded scars from repeated whips. Her fingertips had scarred. The nails removed and the nail beds burned so as to never grow again. She was a frail thing. Taller than Levy by nearly half a foot but her limbs were like twigs. When she turned to them slightly, they could make out the white line marring her fragile throat. Garron hadn't been lying when he joked about cutting it.

She stumbled toward him awkwardly, feet finding it difficult to get their bearing. Eyes squinting against the light.

"I don't know who you are, but this man is in the custody of the Fiore magic council. I recommend you stand back," Mest blocked her path. Though weak and disoriented, when she opened her mouth the magic flowed.

"Step aside," She spoke, and wide eyed and shaking, Mest complied, his limbs forced to respond against his will; looking to Gajeel and Laxus in confusion, the pair of whom were trading startled looks between them. Levy hadn't been kidding when she said that her sister could make things happen with her voice. Apparently that also extended to compliance. A very restricted form of magic where one wizard could circumvent the free will of another. Technically, very illegal. Though Gajeel knew the council occasionally utilized it for enforcement purposes.

"You once said you'd feed me to the wolves," Each syllable sang with unchecked power. Years of containment in the well, unable to use her magic, had only let the stores inside her grow. Right along with the hatred and rage. "There are no wolves in these forests, though. But don't fret, I can do better,"

She grinned at him. Dry lips cracking as though they were made of china.

"Everything that crawls in the earth will come to eat you alive. You won't scream. You won't move. You will endure. And when the maggots have removed your eyes, and the worms come to turn you to earth, you can rest in the knowledge that I still suffered more,"

The ground underneath him opened and Garron started sinking. He opened his mouth to scream but nothing came out. His voice had disappeared. The earth swallowed him, the only true sign of his distress was the wide eyed look of horror, the tears falling down his face, as the ground took him. The hole closing up over as though he'd never been. And she laughed as he was taken. Wild, unconstrained, stomach heaving laughter. Falling to the grass smiling.

Levy's warm palm resting against his chest made Gajeel's heart beat like a drum, but as he looked on he was filled with uncertainty. He should have felt nothing but happiness for her, after all, after everything, she had found her sister. The last shred of living family she had. Yet below the surface, underneath the weak appearance, Gajeel felt himself recognize another monster. His mind travelled back to what he'd originally said to Levy.

That even if she somehow managed to get her sister back. There might not be much of her sister left.

* * *

Notes

And there we have Act 1 complete! Only I'd say maybe less than a 1/3 through the whole story. :)

A huge, huge, HUGE absolutely amazing thank you to the reviewers.

 **piranha pk**

 **SailorSilentEarth**

 **Desna**

 **Rachel3003**

 **ssuicuneluvr**

 **Ihatemyjob1**

 **Where'sTheFood**

And all the guest reviews! I am so amazingly lucky.

Please, please, if you liked the story, let me know.

See you all soon for Act 2 ;)

Moonbeam


	15. Chapter 14

The internal injuries were so bad the healer kept her in a medicated coma for three days before they'd agree to allow transport back to Magnolia, were a council appointee would be waiting to question her and decide any potential guilt. Makarov must have sold his soul to get them to agree to it. But the old man still had some sway, it seemed. The healers came and went while she slept on soundly. When they'd brought her in it was found she'd suffered broken ribs, a perforated lung, a crack in her pelvis that just narrowly avoided surgery. And she was still lucky it hadn't been worse.

Gajeel hadn't left her beside. Not to eat, not to sleep. Laxus had brought him a change of clothes and the Dragon Slayer hadn't left the room since. Laxus wasn't entirely sure if it was concern for her wellbeing that kept him there, or worry that without him to frighten away the council men that were always lingering outside her door, she'd just disappear into a cell, never to be seen or heard from again.

Laxus wasn't a complete fool. He knew Gajeel had a soft spot for her. What he was seeing now, however, was an unhealthy level of possessiveness. Fueled by a potent mix of sleep deprivation inducing paranoia, and caffeine. Gajeel wasn't exactly the most emotionally forthcoming of the Fairy Tail members. And the way he'd held her looked like it was something he was comfortable doing. Laxus would have been willing to stake his reputation on them sharing a more than friendly relationship. If that were the case, it would certainly explain some of Gajeel's behaviour. He didn't necessarily handle these types of things well. The Iron Dragon Slayer favored action over reflection.

Laxus found the white washed walls and bright lights of the hospital to be jarringly unpleasant. It reminded him far too much of his early days. Watching his mother fade in a place not too dissimilar. Hospitals all tended to look the same.

Laxus took a left turn into the specialist wing to find his grandfather still in the same position he'd left him hours ago. Cross-legged and sitting, watching Levy's sister scream against the bonds holding her to the bed. Her mental state had begun deteriorating almost immediately after killing the mage that had attacked them. Mest had to restrain her. She roared and screamed, beating the anti-magic cuffs they'd fitted her with against the frame of the bed. Makarov didn't believe she intentionally caused the havoc she had, but as her mental state wavered, so did any control she had over her magic. Even humming she'd cracked windows. Her scream was downright dangerous. And the strain that even minor magic use was having on her already weak body, would have killed her without intervention.

"One teetering on the edge of a treason charge, and the other about to be committed," Laxus said hunourlessly, offering his grandfather a sandwich and some hot coffee.

Makarov took it with a nod of thanks and Laxus could see his grandfather lament the lack of alcohol in the brew. He couldn't blame the sentiment. He needed several drinks himself.

"I'm not worried about Levy," The old saint intoned. "It would only have been a matter of time before someone decided to retrieve the book and use it for their own ends. They should be grateful she got to it first. The next _Sept_ to come along wouldn't have been so considerate,"

Laxus laughed.

"And you really expect them to swallow that?"

Makarov smiled. Clearly knowing something Laxus didn't.

"No, my boy. But I happen to have leverage,"

Laxus quirked an eyebrow quizzically. His own father was a devious man, but Laxus had come to realize a little too late that the Raven Tail founder hadn't licked that particular trait from the stones.

"And her?"

He looked in the observation window at the woman, now heavily sedated. Even in sleep, her face was twisted in a somewhat manic expression. Perpetually tormented by the demons in her head.

"I once saw someone poisoned with mercury react in much the same way. It gets inside you and rots away the mind," Makarov took a mouthful of terrible coffee and smiled at Laxus. "I've arranged transport back to Magnolia for them tomorrow. I think Wendy may be able to help us on both fronts."

"You think it was _mercury?"_ Laxus threw him a look that told Makarov he thought he was going senile.

" _No_. I think there's something inside her, _poisoning_ her."

* * *

Levy woke up on the train halfway back to Magnolia with two days still to go on the trip. Makarov had arranged two carriages and a nurse for Maeve. Levy having made it passed the worst of her recovery was left to Gajeel to care for. A responsibility he didn't object to. The hospital gave him a liberal supply of motion sickness medicine that succeeded where Laxus had failed; in getting him to rest. They worked well at quelling the nausea, but drowsiness was a hindering side effect he was constantly fighting against.

That's how their reunion occurred. Gajeel being woken up by a slim hand brushing the hair out of his face while he dosed, sitting in an armchair, half collapsed over the edge of her bed. He honestly expected to be awake when she finally came round, but he could admit being roused like that wasn't half bad.

"You're awake," He sputtered awkwardly. Sitting up, wiping the dried drool from his exhausted face. Trying to straighten out the mess that he was currently in. Dark circles under his eyes, greasy hair, unshaven face. He knew he probably looked like hell. He couldn't honestly say it didn't feel like he'd gone through it.

"So are you," She smiled at him, eyes alert for the first time in nearly a week. She tried to sit up and grimaced. "Oh wow, that's a lot of pain,"

Gajeel offered her a cup of water and two small tablets. He'd deny it if asked, but the Dragon Slayer had washed her, changed her bandages and even been brushing her hair while in transit. _He_ looked worse than she did.

"They probably aren't as good as those potions you like to knock back like a six hundred pound vulcan _...but..."_ He gave her a crooked grin. Enjoying the ability to mock her again.

Levy was clearly in a lot of pain because she didn't rise to his baiting. Instead taking the pills quickly and without complaint. Drinking the water so fast she almost choked.

Gajeel chuckled. She was okay. The concept had seemed so abstract up to now. But she was really okay. Shot, beaten, bloodied, but still crawling back for more. He honestly didn't believe he deserved the affections of a woman like that. But he figured that maybe this time it wasn't a sin to accept it. She still loved him. And there didn't seem to be a damn thing that would change that.

"It _wasn't_ meaningless," For all the conversations he'd had in his head, nothing prepared him for the nervous sweat that gathered on the back of his neck. The feeling of bile trying to crawl up his throat. The sticky palms. It explained his suddenly dry mouth, what with all the water leaking out of him.

He bit his tongue a little trying to think of something to follow it up with. Despite the mental practice he drew a blank trying to remember what should come next. Did he tell her she was beautiful, or the strongest person he'd ever known? That the minutes he believed he'd lost her would echo in his mind till the day he died. Trapped in the darkest corners, the worst kind of nightmare. He fumbled over his own thoughts. Frustrated. He liked being the brooding silent type. He liked the distance people kept when he was around. The words 'I love you' _literally_ choked him. Even when he said them in his own _head._ It wasn't because they weren't true. It was because they left him open and bare, exposed. Vulnerable.

His three word version of a confession of love left a lot to be desired. To his horror it made her giggle. Ending in a coughing fit that seemed to wind her. At the look on his face she grabbed his nearest hand and squeezed it tightly. Reassuringly.

"You have issues," She laughed, reaching into his shirt and pulling him to her. She kissed him. Dry chapped lips. Sort of unpleasant breath. Awkward, clumsy... And it was singly the best thing he'd ever experienced. The stone he had no idea was sitting in his stomach, carried round like a weight, fell away. All of a sudden he was thoroughly exhausted. Tired beyond any definitions of the term. A warmth spreading down his cheeks, numbing the ache in his chest and leaving his insides to flutter. Levy rested the palm of her other hand on his cheek and looked him in the eye.

He knew what the sensation was. An understanding of it as instinctual as breathing. It was _love._ Unrepentant, indescribably all consuming, love. It swallowed him whole. Bathed him in unconditional acceptance. He let out a huff of air in breathy sigh. She smiled against his lips and tugged him till he got the message and lay on the bed with her. Hooking an arm around her head. Just revelling in the peace it brought. He knew he sucked at this kind of stuff but he swore right then he'd get better. Make the effort. If he told no one else in his life, he'd tell her how much she meant to him.

"Is Maeve okay?" The question brought Gajeel crashing back down from his momentary high.

At his pause she turned sharply to look at him. Panic clear on her face. He looked uncertain.

"Well...she's _alive..."_

Levy made a horrified face. Truthfully, Gajeel had no idea how to tell her about her sisters downward mental spiral.

"Gajeel!?"

The Dragon Slayer huffed in exasperation.

"You know the name Garron?" She stilled in his arms. Suddenly stiff as a board. The air had vanished from her lungs. "Well, turns out he was the one chasing us, not the council. Showed up right after you went in."

"He was the one who cut the chain," It wasn't even a question.

"Yeah, when your sister saw him, she _literally_ put him in the fucking ground. Then she started losing her shit entirely. Douchebag with the scars restrained her, but by the time we got to the local hospital they had to start using anti magic cuffs," She babbled and screamed and laughed. Leading to one incredibly unnerving carriage journey. Things hadn't improved when they'd reached the hospital either. If Mest was hoping the doctors would be able to help, he'd been very mistaken. When her magic had started flaring it had started ripping the environment apart. She'd shouted a nurse through a plate glass window; the man had been a little too rough tying her to the bed and he paid the price. Gajeel didn't tell her how much he'd laughed at that. Must have been a family trait.

"What's wrong with her?" Levy asked in a quiet voice.

"Old man thinks there's something inside. Something she carried back. Doctors didn't know shit, so Wendy and Porlyusica are gonna take a look when we get to the guild," Sensing the sudden wave of anxious tension from her, he tightened his grip a little. Hoping to pass some kind of strength through skin to skin contact. She'd gone through fire and brimstone for her family, that that might have been in vain was a bitter pill to swallow. On top of that he sensed some apprehension about returning to the rest of her friends. There would undoubtedly be questions. He wasn't sure she was ready for that. _He_ certainly wasn't.

The guilt and the shame had taken a good solid three days to kick in with Gajeel, but when they had, and he finally started remembering the faces and the blood, hearing the shouts and screams, he'd thrown up everything he had left in his stomach until the dry retching grew painful. There was a reason the council men avoided eye contact with him. And a more selfish reason he stayed in Levy's room for the duration of the hospital stay. The reality of his actions finally striking him hard at the looks reflected in their eyes. They'd seen what he did. Knew the animal that was sitting in him waiting for any excuse to come out. When he joined Fairy Tail there was a lot of things he'd had to sit down and start coming to terms with. One of those things was facing the people he'd hurt.

"I...killed a lot of people, Levy," He finally said, voice twisting with apprehension, as well as contrition. Laying there, staring at the ceiling. Unable to even bring himself to look at her. He could hear her breathing change. He let his eyes close, waiting. Telling her about the terrible things he'd done used to be his method of pushing her away. For all the use it had done him. Now he was hoping he didn't finally succeed.

"We're both guilty of that," She whispered brokenly.

Gajeel shook his head.

"Shorty, I killed them because it made me feel better. Because I enjoyed it," He admitted to her. The underlying subject of intent was the difference between them. People had died because they were involved with her. But she hadn't wished them harm. Levy of course wouldn't see it like that.

"It's not me that needs to forgive you. That's something you need to do for yourself," She turned and kissed him on the cheek. "You're the only reason we're all alive. I _know_ you're a good man. Under all of that crap you try to feed people."

"You are so naïve," He ground out. It was frustrating just how much faith she put in him. And yet it was just one of those very same qualities that made her stand out like she did.

"And you're still an asshole," She laughed and tried to sit up but her body felt as heavy as lead. "Do you think they'd let me see her?" She asked hopefully.

Gajeel grinned at her. The woman was an unstoppable force of nature when it came to her family.

"No. But let 'em even _try_ an' stop you,"

* * *

Notes

You didn't think I'd keep you waiting for the next one did you?

 **piranha pk** \- Its gonna be pretty long alright. And I hope there will be alllll the feels.

 **Rachel3003** \- I have this inherent love of creepy! Lol Thank you for the review and the constant support! *hugs*

 **Where'sTheFood** \- More will be inbound soon. Lol I can't very well leave people hanging. ;)

And Levy is going to be just fine! :) For the moment anyway... :P


	16. Chapter 15

By the time Levy made it back to Magnolia she was walking, albeit slowly. Taking small, delicate steps while holding onto Gajeel for dear life in case she fell. Her pelvis and hips felt like they'd been taken apart and put back together by children involved in some abstract art project. She could barely lift her feet more than an inch from the ground before being rudely slapped with waves of blinding, mind numbing pain. Walking was a battle when every step left her catching her toes on the carpet.

The Dragon Slayer made her practice relentlessly. He was right to. She knew if she didn't move, didn't at least _try_ to walk, her recovery would be slower. She might not even fully recover at all.

It had shocked her to find out that Gajeel had voluntarily become her nursemaid, despite the fact that the woman assigned to care for Maeve had offered to help out, he'd outright refused, telling her he didn't trust anyone appointed by the council. A sentiment that annoyed Levy a little, after all, her sister was being entrusted to this woman's care. But then again, Maeve wasn't going on trial for treason. Gajeel made a valid point on that front.

With the train nearing Magnolia station, Levy was forced to start the daunting task of getting dressed. Gajeel helped her stand and passed her some clean clothes Makarov had purchased. Setting them neatly over a chair. She stood staring at the articles, uncertainty evident. Washing had consisted of her running a damp soapy cloth over herself in the bed and lightly toweling herself dry. She honestly didn't feel clean enough to be wearing new clothes but clad only in pyjamas she didn't really see much of a choice.

The Dragon Slayer stood nearby watching her. He still looked run down but he'd cleaned himself up and even shaved. He was a little more like his regular brooding self. But he looked like he could do with a solid week of uninterrupted sleep. Levy stretched a little and groaned miserably when she realized she couldn't even bend far enough to pull on clean underwear. Her chances of dressing herself unassisted were now next to zero.

"You might want to get the nurse in here. I don't think I can do this on my own," She realized her voice was trembling. For some reason not being able to even dress herself really, truly upset her. Tears gathered in her eyes and she wiped them away quickly before they fell. Her pride had taken a number of heavy handed beatings of late, and it had taken its toll on her often too fragile confidence.

When Gajeel didn't immediately leave to fetch Maeve's nurse. She turned to him, questioningly. He was leaning back against the door to the private carriage, arms crossed. His expression unreadable.

"Gajeel?"

He pushed off and grabbed the articles of clothing on route to her. She knew very well what he was thinking and she went red faced, shaking her head. He helped her to the bathroom and back into bed but the idea of him putting clothes on her made her face burn with embarrassment. He gave her an incredulous look.

"Not like I ain't seen you naked, Shrimp," He chuckled.

"Sure, but I _let_ you see me naked. Its not the same. Having you dress me, it's kinda humiliating."

An eyebrow rose at the statement.

"You'd really prefer a complete _stranger_ do it?" He brushed some hair off her neck and grinned when she shuddered at his touch. Leaning almost imperceptibly against him.

She hesitated. She'd only met the nurse once; a plump woman with sweaty hands and a too solid grip. The image of her pulling at her arms and telling her not to complain, stop crying, stand still, was equally as unappealing, she begrudgingly realized. Besides, Gajeel and her were an item weren't they? It seemed so. They hadn't necessarily talked about but it wasn't completely crazy to assume.

Levy slumped in defeat. Nodding her quick acceptance before she changed her mind. She was half expecting to be pawed at awkwardly but that didn't happen. Instead he started carefully at her neckline, skillfully and deftly undoing the buttons of her pyjama top. She stared at him curiously.

"I was half expecting you to just start ripping stuff off," she found herself saying with a bemused smile.

Gajeel gave her the slickest half grin. Before bending down and whispering in her hair. His hot breath tickling her neckline.

"Heal first, fun later," He purred, giving her earlobe a playful nip before landing a soft, light kiss on her neck below it. The blood dancing under the skin with the sudden rush to her brain.

She had to physically grip the front of his shirt to steady herself, her knees went weak and she almost fell to the floor.

"By Mavis, you must be trying to kill me," Her voice shook with sudden unexplainable need. She wasn't in any position to be fooling around with him but he was able to bring out such potent desires in her with barely a touch, and the combination of painkillers and stimulants she'd been prescribed to speed up healing, left her body confused. She laughed at the utter ridiculousness of it and suddenly she didn't feel quite so embarrassed to have him help her out of her clothes.

With the last button undone he gently brushed the open shirt off her shoulders letting it fall to the floor. Fingertips grazing the skin of her shoulders making her breath hitch in her throat and her mouth go dry. She closed her eyes. It was so unnecessarily sensual that Levy could scarcely believe Gajeel was capable of it. The man in bed was so hard and fast; driven by an animal need and a powerful, possessive will to dominate. Now his touches were featherlight. Measured and full of promise. What she knew about him was just so at odds with this.

It felt like he was trying to turn her inside out with his fingertips. Blood rushed to her skin in such quantities she thought she might burst. Gajeel wasn't even doing anything that could be _technically_ classified as sexual. Honestly, and to Levy's disappointment, he barely made contact with her skin at all. But her body responded regardless. She cursed inside. She wanted him badly. But until she recovered, that wouldn't happen. To top it off, she might be getting back to the guild only to be lead away in chains. Suddenly overwhelmed, tears of frustration fell while he slipped the new simple black dress over her head. He didn't say anything about it, instead pulling back a little, wiping the droplets away with his fingers and kissing her. With pressure enough to let her know her desires were returned. And that everything was going to be fine.

Delicately, acutely aware of the painful bruises, he slipped her bottoms and panties down. She held onto his head and shoulders for balance while he helped her step into fresh underwear. He brought them up slowly, leaving a kiss against her stomach, over the fabric of her dress, when he'd finished. It made her breath hitch painfully and her fingers tighten in his hair.

It might have been the drugs clouding her normally sharp mind but she suddenly realized then what he was doing. He couldn't say the words, she knew he couldn't, they choked him in much the same way they tried to do to her, too. But he'd wanted to say them. She knew that as well. So, here he was, _showing_ her how he felt. There would be no worries about insincere and empty promises. He was never going to be the type of guy to say something like that and not mean it. For the time being he was showing her something she wasn't sure she deserved. After all the things she'd done and the people that had gotten hurt because of her. Devotion. This was his expression of that.

Slipping her feet into flats she took a few measured and uassisted steps. Gajeel stood back. Happy with the final result and her clear steps toward recovery. Wendy would more than likely be able to significantly improve the pain and bruising, but for the moment she was doing fine.

Exiting the train there were council guards and knights _everywhere._ There were dozens of them. Her feet had barely touched the ground before a rune knight appeared wielding a set of manacles but one of the men from the train grabbed him by the arm and held him back, an almost wild look of panic in his eyes, glancing toward a glaring Gajeel. No doubt there would be drunken conversations later on and by tomorrow the whole town would be awash with talk about the kind of man Gajeel Redfox was.

The council knights were now in Fairy Tail's town. The home of four Dragon Slayers, The Demon Mirajane, Titania, The Thunder Legion and the legendary Gildarts. Any power the council wielded here, they knew they did only because Fairy Tail ultimately allowed it. With tensions rising among neighboring states, there were far less soldiers to spare so far inland. The ones they could, were dealing with the dark guilds and legitimate threats. For the minute, the council were hesitant to see how far they could push Makarov. They simply couldn't afford it. There was absolutely no benefit in making enemies of them if it could be helped.

"I SWEAR IF YOU DON'T GET OUT OF MY WAY I WILL STOMP INTO DUST WHATEVER'S _LEFT_ AFTER NATSU IS THROUGH WITH YOU!"

Levy couldn't help the smile that crossed her face when Lucy appeared from out between two suddenly sweaty guards. She shoved them aside pushing through onto the platform. Behind her, Natsu was standing staring at the nervous council men, the air around him steaming. Lucy ran across the station and practically threw her arms around Levy, who yelped in pain.

"Oh _gods,_ Levy, what the hell happened to you?" She asked, pulling back in apology. Although the dress covered quite a bit of skin, horrific bruises were still peeking out from around the edges of the fabric. Against Levy's normally pale skin they stood out like a sore thumb. Lucy's eyes darted toward Gajeel in more than an accusatory fashion.

But the script mage picked up on this almost instantly. She knew how things had been just before he left. The guild blaming him for her disappearance. She could scarcely imagine his loneliness and isolation. As much as he said to the contrary, if Gajeel hadn't truly wanted a family. Wanted friends and people to care about him. He wouldn't have agreed to join Fairy Tail at all. His persona was as much an act as hers had been. But those kinds of lies are generally the ones you grow into.

"Assassin guild. I'd be dead a dozen times over if Gajeel hadn't been there," She was exaggerating of course but she would willingly die before she let one single rumour spread about him. That he had anything to do with her injuries. She owed him so much and more. She needed to make that clear.

Lucy looked at Gajeel suspiciously, regardless of Levy's words she still had her concerns about him but didn't say anything more. It didn't slip by unnoticed that he was standing almost flush against Levy's back. A hand lightly resting on her hip to steady her. The blonde celestial mage had the eyes of a hawk and a mind sharper than the tip of her celestial whip, for all the playing dumb she did. But despite her reservations about Levy's questionable taste in men, her friend was back, and that was literally all she cared about. Makarov exited the train shortly after them. Followed by some more of the council's men. Mest was carrying a still cuffed, still sleeping Maeve.

"Who's that?" Lucy asked. Eyes drawn to the almost skeletal, brown haired form in a hospital gown currently being carried with all the consideration of a sack of flour.

"That's my sister," The script mage replied.

Lucy looked between Levy and the woman but chose not to question her about it here, where everyone could listen in. Instead the blonde strode up to the scarred council knight and took the brunette out of his arms. Holding her carefully.

"We take care of our own," Lucy said with all seriousness before the four of them left the platform. Makarov saw the look of hurt in Mest's eyes before he covered it, confused by his own reaction to such an innocuous statement.

"Fairy Tail will _always_ look after its family," The old man said as he passed him. To anyone listening in, it would have sounded like he was defending the celestial mage's stern words. But for some reason, the council spy was hit with a strong feeling he meant something else with that statement.

* * *

Notes

If I was to give a title for the second act it would be trials and treasons. Lol

 **Blundermoon** , **MissOtak1** thank you for the favs! :) And I'd hardly call it amazing but it makes me happy beyond words you like it!

 **SailorSilentEarth** \- I love writing intimate scenes. I don't know. They just tend to have more weight to them. And sleepy Gajeel is just freaking adorable!

 **piranha pk** \- We got there eventually, lol. Only 30k words or so in the making. Sorry to keep the shippers waiting. Lol

 **Rachel3003** \- I'm trying to balance fluff, romance, angst, intrigue, adventure, horror and hurt/comfort. It sorta keeps the creepy factor under control in short horrible bursts. Lol And I think its gonna be a while before he can actually say it. He's a stubborn bastard. But he's definitely going to make sure Levy knows it in the meantime.

 **Where'sTheFood** \- Things are so complicated right now I'm keeping a damn flow chart so I can track the elements of this story and know when to work them in. Complicated isn't even the word for it. But it should definitely be interesting. ;)

Big huge thank you for all the messages of support and reviews. For all the follows.

Love you guys!


	17. Chapter 16

Nameless faces haunted Gajeel's dreams. They were silent, judgemental eyes staring at him from under low hanging hoods. Dozens of them, circling his nightmares. Whispering his name...and hers.

When he woke up on his couch he was sweating and breathing heavily. He rubbed roughly at his eyes, but even awake he found he could still see them. Lurking just at the corners of his vision. Tormenting him. Levy had gone back to her apartment where the other women in the guild had no doubt fawned over her. He'd been right in his belief that Wendy would be able to help. Within minutes Levy was walking without any noticeable limp; just a single session with the guild's smallest Dragon Slayer was enough to almost completely undo the damage. He still saw the occasional wince when she was twisting, or bending, she tried to hide it, but it was hard to hide anything from a Dragon Slayer. That was still a far sight better than the condition she'd started in.

Unfortunately, Wendy wasn't able to do much for Maeve. She had however confirmed Makarov's theory that she was afflicted with something. But healing her was beyond the young Dragon Slayer's magic. Porlyusica had said she was calling in the help of a specialist in these types of things. But it would be a day or two before they arrived.

His parting from the script mage had been awkward, but Gajeel had honestly expected it to be. People were watching and he genuinely didn't know what to say to her, while she hesitated to hug him in public. She'd _wanted_ to kiss him. He was grateful she _didn't,_ Gods, private shows of affection were only _just_ starting to feel normal. The Iron Dragon Slayer wasn't quite there yet for the public ones. It turned out to be a great awkward mess of fumbled words and clumsy motions. He tried to shake her hand. If that didn't just take the cake.

It was almost a relief when Erza practically steamrolled over him to drag her off. He could only laugh at the look of panic on her face. But he knew they meant well and she'd be safe. It was a fool that lifted a fist or a weapon against Erza Scarlet.

He'd gone back to the home he shared with Lily to find the Exceed flying around, leg still in a splint but noticeably cheerier than when he'd left. After a brief talk, during which the Exceed curiously mentioned absolutely nothing about her, no statements, no questions, which left him very suspicious, Gajeel ate some decent home cooked food. He could happily say the casserole was not cold or clumsily wedged between slices of bread. He didn't even make it into his bedroom, instead falling asleep, face first, fully clothed on the couch.

It was the first time he'd slept alone in over a week and a half and he hated the absence she left in his life. His arms felt unnaturally empty without her in them. As though they'd lost their purpose. His dreams turned to darkness and shit without that little light of hers, chasing the nightmares away.

When he woke up it was still dark outside but he couldn't bring himself to lay back down. It was going to be a long stressful day and he wasn't willing to hide himself away, doomed to slowly start rotting in his apartment. He decided to leave for the guildhall once dawn broke. Unable to think of anything other than seeing her again.. He wouldn't be allowed passed the doors of her apartment building and that would be the next place he would most likely to find her. The Dragon Slayer ran his hands through his hair and tugged a little, groaning. He fucking missed her. A few hours. That's all it took to leave him a useless, twisted mess of a human being. He showered quickly and dressed, and was about head for the front door when there was a light tentative knock on it. His heart skipped a beat before his senses reigned it back in and he found his mood even lower than before.

"What'dya want, bunny?" He asked pulling the door open aggressively. A little harder and he'd have taken it off its hinges. He hadn't even seen her yet but he knew her scent. Amusingly, she reeked of Natsu these days

Lucy stood on the other side of the arch, clutching her arms to her chest, shielding herself against the bitter morning cold. The sun hadn't risen yet and Gajeel knew there'd still be lingering traces of frost on the grass and prickling the air. He had never even seen the blonde wear a coat, though she could sure use one with the skimpy numbers she liked show off in. He wasn't sure the daft woman even owned one. Case in point, she looked fucking icy. The fire Dragon Slayer was probably the only reason she didn't freeze to death on jobs.

When she didn't immediately respond he stepped aside, indicating she could come in. Whatever she was here to discuss would be best not talked about out in the open. He couldn't be entirely sure, but he got the feeling he was under surveillance. The meeting with the council appointee was scheduled for three o'clock and no doubt they were going to made sure all the relevant parties attended it. Lucy gratefully walked passed him, revelling in the sudden warmth of the apartment.

"Seriously, spit it out before I fuck you out," Gajeel said impatiently. Throwing her his best glare. He didn't particularly enjoy her company on the best of days. Watching her and Natsu dance about each other drove him demented.

"Levy wanted to know if you'd meet her for breakfast. She's staying at mine," Lucy blurted out. Red faced. Gajeel knew now why she was so hesitant. Woman was fucking embarrassed. She was being used as a go between. Being one of Levy's most trusted friends.

The Shrimp was smart enough to know they were being watched.

His mouth literally fell open in shock before he realized that Levy must have had a lengthy discussion with Lucy about their _sort of_ burgeoning relationship. His reputation had never felt quite so compromised.

"Ehh...sure," he mumbled crossing his arms defensively before turning toward the kitchen so she couldn't see how nervous he suddenly felt. What if the guild knew they were seeing each other? They'd probably think he was taking advantage of her or something. He sucked in a breath wondering how many pieces Erza would carve him into. He let an audible groan slip.

"Didn't think I'd ever see you of all people get cowed by the notion of breakfast with your girlfriend," Lucy laughed teasingly. She walked passed him and opened one of the smaller cupboards to retrieve a mug and set about making herself a cup of hot tea. It took Gajeel a second to realize she knew were everything was. Even longer to hazard a guess as to why. The last thing to hit him harder than a sledgehammer was the word 'girlfriend'. He clenched his jaw tight, suddenly desperate to change the subject.

"How's Lily been?" He asked her. She knew her way around so she'd probably spent some time here. Despite the conversation last night, the Exceed didn't mention himself once, and he was a hard person to read. Gajeel figured while Lily was still sleeping would be the best time to ask. Lucy smiled, as though suddenly realizing he may not have been the dumb brute the rest of the guild thought he was.

"The leg's healing well. Wendy didn't want it to heal too fast and risk scar tissue forming, so she's doing smaller regular sessions with him while he keeps up his training," She said, sounding pleased. "But, I think he's been bored."

That didn't surprise him, Lily liked the thrill of a good mission just like he did. Laying about while the interesting jobs got picked off would drive him mad.

But again, another of Wendy's success stories. Gajeel could admit he was developing a soft spot for her. She represented the walking talking proof that Dragon Slayer's could be something other than monsters. So far, every Dragon Slayer Gajeel had met or had known, possessed a darkness at their core. Even Natsu was a living promise of impending annihilation. He was the literal embodiment of destruction.

"Glad he's doing okay," Was all Gajeel could say to it. He looked at her to find she was examining him, mug in hand. A critical eye weighing up his worth. Judging him. He found himself snarling. _"What?"_ He growled out.

"Levy told me about this adorable little twitch you get when you're thinking," She poured hot water into the cup, stirring inattentively. She gave him a devious smile. "And there, I almost didn't believe her."

He blanked at her words.

"I don't twitch, adorably or otherwise, got it?" He spoke in a low, semi -threatening whisper.

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that," She laughed at him. Mockery was something he was familiar with. He was _comfortable_ with banter. Lily and him frequently teased each other to the point of actual insult on a more than regular basis. Lucy seemed able to hold up to it. Then again. This was the woman that kicked Jose in the balls and threw herself out of her prison cell ten storeys up. He vaguely remembered an incident involving throwing knives. His gut clenched painfully. Yeah, he really didn't need to ask himself where all the distrust and animosity came from.

"I'll have ya know that I don't have a single fuckin' bone in my _body_ that could be classified as adorable," He growled out, baring teeth. Red eyes glaring. Seriously, what drugs was the Heartfilia woman taking?

"Riiiight..." Lucy smirked knowingly before her face grew serious. She paused, swallowing. The light atmosphere growing tense.

"About Levy..." That was all that was needed to garner Gajeel's full, undivided attention. "...do-do you know if she's always had the night terrors or if they're new?" Gajeel stopped for a moment, a half chewed fork almost at his lips. He set it back down. "Apparently her apartment is soundproofed," Lucy finished. No one in Fairy Hills would know if she had been. Considering the blonde was her closest friend, it distressed her to know that something so terrible could be happening under her nose and she'd never have realized.

"She mentioned they were gettin' worse," He cautiously admitted. "So probably for a while," Altogether unsure of how much he could reveal before it crossed into territory Levy might not like. These were her secrets. Her stories to tell.

Then Lucy spoke, her words hitting him square in the chest with the intensity of emotion they conjured.

"I'd honestly be happier if she stayed here with you, until all this is over."

Gajeel almost spit out the steel he was chewing, he just about barely found the will power to swallow it down, jagged edges and all. The seemingly offhand comment had come out of nowhere. The Dragon Slayer sucked in a breath, trying desperately to play it cool.

"You not able to stay with her or somethin'?" He asked, focusing on the struggle it was to keep his voice even. Lucy smiled one of those wide, stupid smiles at him. The ones that made him distinctly uncomfortable. They were the smiles she gave her clients when she knew they were overpaying for a job; the stupid grins that made him roll his eyes, because they generally meant some fool was about to be played like a harp.

"It's not me she calls out for," Lucy had the audacity to say to him and Gajeel felt his ears grow hot. One of the many reasons he loved his hair. It hid a multitude of potential, unintentional confessions. He kept his face stony and she laughed at the look. "Besides, I don't think I'm cut out for it," She stretched down the hip of her jeans, exposing the beginnings of a nasty looking bruise on her side. "Iron doesn't bruise so I figure you won't have the same issues waking her up if it comes down to it. Girl can _kick,"_ She rinsed out her mug and set it beside the sink to dry. "Anyway, I'm going to be out for the morning. Have a job with Natsu. So have fun and don't _break_ anything. My landlord will _kill_ me," Lucy headed for the door.

Gajeel felt like telling her that the landlord might not get the opportunity; he almost bit his tongue clean off in irritation at her attitude. She _knew_ what was happening today. Levy's freedom and future hung in the balance and she was acting like a schoolgirl passing notes. She clearly knew something he didn't. Anger and frustration bubbled up inside Gajeel. He walked her as far as the door and as she stepped through it, he said in the most saccharin tone.

 _"Sure,_ a _job_ with Natsu. Don't let me keep you. I was wondering if that little shit's balls had dropped yet, gihi,"

" _Hey_ , what the hells _that supposed to_..."

Gajeel slammed the door in her face. Feeling somewhat more like his usual self. The iron covering the wood muffled the curses and shouts she leveled at him from the other side. There was a bang that sounded like a heeled boot hitting it. As crazy as it was, it cheered him up to goad her about her secret love life.

Gajeel pulled his jacket off the hook and slyly headed to the roof. He had somewhere he needed to be.

* * *

Notes

Eeeeek! Yes, I know this is just filler for the moment. But I figured some levity was probably in order. Lucy probably isn't my favorite character but she has her moments. I just love the idea of her teasing him, I mean, if she didn't freak out when he had her pinned to the wall and was hurling throwing knives at her, I highly doubt she's going to be intimidated now.

 **michellephoenix275** \- thank you for the fave! :) * _pleaseupdatesoon*_

 **lrcortiz** \- I'm literally addicted to writing this story. I honestly don't know what I'm going to do when I finished it. Thank you so much for the review!

 **Rachel3003** \- Gajeel is a bit of an emotionally stunted dork. Lol and I just know I'm going to have to drag him out of his shell by the hair, kicking and screaming. Its pretty difficult to keep him in character.


	18. Chapter 17

Levy burnt the food. Not simply inedible, the level of ruin she inflicted in the kitchen filled Lucy's apartment with smoke. The kind of smoke damage that might just so happen to cost the celestial mage her deposit.

She barely noticed.

Gajeel pulled the pan off the stove and dumped it, and its flaming contents into the sink. Never breaking the contact with her. He was almost desperate. His hands were everywhere. Within about ten seconds of the front door closing he'd pulled her into his arms, lifted her up and sat her on the countertop. His lips collided with hers and she was left breathless. The clock ceased to have much meaning beyond that point and by the time Levy had even noticed, breakfast was the charred remains of scrambled egg and bacon, flaming on a pan. After sorting the immediate fire hazard, Gajeel trailed his lips along her jawline, his hands brushing the insides of her thighs. She laughed, pulling back. Pushing against his chest.

"Gajeel, I'm _not_ having sex in Lucy's apartment," She hissed between groans. Feeling his hands tighten their grip on her thighs. "And I think we should open a window before someone calls a fire engine," She giggled at the growl that was beginning in his throat as he forced his breathing to calm. She coughed a little, the smoke getting to her.

He sighed, stepping away, lifting her up and setting her down on the ground before cracking open one of Lucy's large windows.

"When she said you wanted me for breakfast, Shrimp, I thought she was bein' literal," The comment and smirk made the woman blush furiously. She really had just intended to have breakfast with him.

"Sometimes us mere mortals need to eat actual food and I... guess I just wanted to cook for you. Something normal..." She sputtered. After a night of sweaty terrors and even less sleep, she needed something positive to take her mind off the days coming events. Though Lucy and pretty much everyone who'd spoken to her, had told her not to worry about it, that she'd do just fine, she wasn't feeling very confident. A quiet breakfast with him seemed like it would do the trick. Sharing meals with the Dragon Slayer was fast becoming one of her favorite things to do.

Gajeel smiled a devilish smile.

"Only one problem with that, Shorty, you can't _cook,"_ He laughed. Her face paled significantly in righteous indignation, it only seemed to spur him on. "Seriously, what's smokin' in the dish water's an improvement,"

"You weren't complaining before," She ground out, affronted by the unexpected insult. She knew she could cook. She'd been feeding herself for most of her life. Who wouldn't be able to after that. "I _can_ cook," She affirmed.

He gave her a disbelieving look.

"Holding some meat over a firepit ain't exactly the same thing, Shrimp," He was teasing her now, she knew it, the little smirk that followed every statement, but she couldn't stop herself falling for it.

"I think you'll you'll find that that _exactly_ qualifies as cooking,"

She could see from the look on his face that he was enjoying winding her up. It truly boggled her mind; understanding what kind of satisfaction he could be getting from aggravating her.

"You're a real _bastard,_ you know that?"

He smiled, shrugging, before kissing her again. One hand burrowing into her hair while the other wandered over her hip; fingers teasing her; tracing the line of her underwear through the fabric.

"I'm not lettin' 'em take you anywhere. They won't live to regret tryin', either," He looked her square in the eye. Serious. Eyes resolute. "You wanted me, well now you ain't gettin' rid of me," He saw the conflict in her eyes. She didn't want anyone hurt over her. Gajeel grinned, lightening the mood. "I suppose it's not really an issue..." He brushed her mouth with his own, not quite a kiss, before biting down on her bottom lip a little harder than the usual nip. Levy hissed. Half pleased, half pained. Thoroughly confused as to how those two things interacted. "...cause at least _I_ can cook. One of us has gotta be able to."

Gajeel found out just how strong those legs of hers were when she kicked him in the shins. He'd wondered how she broke that security guards leg. Mystery solved.

* * *

Levy felt her insides drop faster than a tonne of bricks from a great height. The so-called meeting was in all actuality, a full-blown trial. Complete with a judge. A hooded figure sitting menacingly silent in a high backed chair. To make matters worse, they'd opened it to the public. All her family secrets about to be laid bare for the entire town, the whole guild to see. She felt clammy, vice like fingers twist painfully in her stomach. Her father had always stessed the importance of keeping their family history quiet. It had been part of the deal the McGardens had made with the council when they'd freed her father and grandmother. Never speak of it. Never involve themselves in it. They could live their lives free from interference if they never mentioned the name Sept ever again.

Gajeel stood beside her every single step of the way in. The council had decided to hold it in the town hall. Levy knew a witch hunt when she saw one. Whispers and hushed voices of the townspeople echoed in her head as they lined the benches, and packed the back of the room. There was barely even standing space left. Borderline hysteric masses fueled by rumours and hearsay from the council men. Their words were too low to hear and when she asked Gajeel what they were saying, he simply grit his teeth hard in silence. Face promising murder. The implication clear that it was best she didn't know.

At the front of the room, she was directed to take a seat at a solitary table. Gajeel was ushered away, but even unable to see him she still heard the noise he made in protest when the rune knights cuffed her. Mest was there as well, he leaned over the table apologetically.

"It's just protocol. It'll be okay," He sounded sincere but her hands still shook, rattling the chains. From where she was sitting she couldn't see her guildmates. There were no friendly faces to offer her comfort or support. She truly felt as though she were on her own.

An administrator stood and pulled out a pieced of folded parchment.

"Levane Mara Sept, you have been brought before us today to answer to charges of treason," There were a number of gasps around the room. Levy couldn't work out which people found worse, hearing the name Sept after so long, or that a member of their beloved Fairy Tail was on trial for treason.

"That's not my name,"

It wasn't wise, she knew that, but she interrupted the man anyway. The glasses adorning his bald head slipped just a little further down his nose.

"Make no mistake, we allowed your family to use whatever name they wished in their daily comings and goings, but your family name was registered as Sept with the council. In the eyes of the law, there is no concession for a man to take his wife's name. Legally, there are no McGardens in this courtroom," He snapped at her. She'd never felt so humiliated. He glared warningly at her. "Now, I would refrain from speaking until directed to do so."

Levy wanted to sink down into the chair. Fall to the ground and keep falling. Tumble out of the world. She'd have considered the darker well a better alternative if not for the knowledge that she'd probably be stuck reliving this scene over and over till she died. People were muttering behind her. Whispering among themselves.

They read out a list of charges. Mostly bogus, everything ranging from breaking of contract, confidence trickery, to unlawful killing and finally treason. Garron, the man who murdered her family, hired people to kill her, she was being charged with _his_ death. She wasn't even conscious when he'd died. Had no _idea_ it was even him hunting them. But the council believed her culpable considering her sister wasn't compus mentis at the time or since. They were bringing all of these up because individually it was all so flimsy and they knew it. If however they managed to get even one of these charges to stick, it would mean life in a cell.

Levy knew what they were trying to do. She was sure other people could see it for what it was, too. Her only nagging thought was why, why did they want her locked up all of a sudden?

"I didn't know, had no _way_ of knowing who was following us. And considering he turned up with a hired guild of assassins _after_ I'd already passed into the well, any argument that his death was my responsibility is ludicrous," She bit out venomously. _"Yes,_ I opened a door into void space but I did it to save my sister and finally be rid of that stupid book," she sighed. "Its been dangling like a sword over my family for two generations. I couldn't face leaving it over a third. I couldn't face leaving Maeve there."

The man snorted at her explanation. Clicking his tongue patronizingly.

"You wanted to destroy it, and you thought the best way to do this was by using it?" He was incredulous. "You risked the very _fabric_ of _reality_ on the chance that an old spell you dug up would counter the life's work of a talented mage like your great grandfather? I would think..." The man looked to the crowd, as if this were some pantomime and he was looking for the correct response from his audience. Winding them up like children. "...I would think you'd have brought it to the council, so we could have destroyed it safely for you. No assassins, no running, no law breaking," He sounded so thoroughly reasonable. So convincing. Picking apart her statement with basic logic. Simple truths.

Levy felt like laughing. The answer had suddenly occurred to her. The thing _she_ knew that the people probably didn't. The council's dirty little secret. She'd almost completely forgotten about the lie they were still peddling to the masses. The man with glasses had clearly underestimated just how much she knew about the history of 'The Walled Garden'.

"If you couldn't destroy the last one that came into your possession, how may I ask, were you hoping to get rid of this one?"

Silence fell across the room, and scattered throughout, the Fairy Tail mages were smiling. Makarov had known. Just like he'd known this would probably come up while they examined her. She'd been watched and they couldn't very well say anything and risk someone overhearing. Giving them time to prepare a cover story. It would only work if she caught them off-guard. The guild master had known though, he'd known in his gut that she wouldn't miss something so obvious.

The man hovering over her sputtered and coughed, he looked backward to the figure seated in judgement but the man in question merely shrugged, gesturing for him to continue. He'd dug this hole, he would need to crawl himself out of it.

"The copy _was_ destroyed," He'd started sweating visibly. "We publicly burned it. Turned its _evil_ pages to ash," He straightened his collar.

"I find that unlikely, considering the lack of actual paper in it. What you keep referring to as a book, isn't one. It's no more a book than you are a _rock."_ She made it clear she didn't think much of him. Her tone mirrored his own. Her words though, were sharper than a blade. She suddenly remembered that she'd walked, willingly into hell. This wouldn't frighten her.

"It's like a lacrima. Except this lacrima has no fixed shape and is made of energy taken directly from the well. A permanent link to it. Calus molded it into the shape of a book because they're innocuous, easy to transport and could be hidden in plain sight. _Fire,_ would have had even less effect on it, than the truth would on the outcome of _this,"_ She spread her arms wide gesturing to the hall filled with people. "Whatever _this_ is?"

Levy felt like smiling when she heard Gajeel's barking laughter somewhere in the back. The Dragon Slayer himself had tried to burn it. She could recall. The funny thing about it was, she'd been nervous up to the point he'd mentioned bringing it to them to destroy. Truthfully, she was guilty of using the book. That had already been established. If they'd have stuck to that point and kept hammering at it, there would have been very little she could have done. However, in the process of trying to call her motives into question, they'd exposed one of their own dirty little secrets in public.

The man questioning her looked suddenly nervous. Sensing not only the change in the people in the room, but also the direction this entire fiasco had taken. The blame and guilt they'd been seeding in the room had been countered and thrown back at them.

There might have been a time Levy would have felt sorry for the man. He was going to get himself into trouble over this. But unfortunately, those days had passed.

"Actually, I'm not being entirely honest," She fixed him with a cold glare and made sure her voice carried. Public speaking was never her strongest attribute but her life was on the line.

"It just depends on what type of fire you use. Regular fire would do nothing. If you used magical fire, though, the results would be lethal," She paused for effect. " Exactly how many people died during that public burning? A dozen? More?" Silence descended. "We warned you it would happen. How dangerous it was. The two energies _aren't_ compatible and combining them is dangerous," She took a breath to steady herself. "I opened the breach to save the only member of my family left and because it's one of the only places that the _book_ could _never_ be used. I sent it back where it came from and shut the door behind me."

The townsfolk behind her were screaming and shouting now. Levy _had_ been right and they remembered the truth of that; people had died when they tried destroying the last one. The council's official story had been that it was a booby trap, something they couldn't have foreseen. Except for the fact that her grandmother had warned them against using magic on it. Explicitly told them what would happen.

Someone threw something at the man acting as prosecutor and if Mest hadn't of teleported in front of him to catch it, the stone would have hit him square in the face. People were yelling, among the shouts and curses, Levy heard 'give her the other one, too, be rid of it!'. And questions as to where the council were keeping it. If they'd any other motives for lying.

And finally the judge presiding had had enough. Whatever their reasoning behind this farce was, it was clear it had backfired. They'd wanted to make a public example of her, but those displays carried risks and despite her family history, she was known in the town. Respected. Continuing with the rest of this would be pointless. Considering they'd already lost more than the chance to put her behind bars.

"I think I've heard enough to drop the charges," the judge stood and took down the hood they always wore. For impartiality and to also protect them from the repercussions of unpopular decisions. He heaved a tired sigh and gave her an apologetic look that Levy didn't believe for a second was genuine.

"While the subject of guilt with regards using the artifact isn't in question. I believe the law prohibiting it was written while they still believed it could be destroyed conventionally. Your intentions were honorable and the results were agreeable. No doubt if it had fallen into other hands, we wouldn't be here to be discussing this," He motioned to Mest to removed her chains. "You're free to go." He intoned.

The script mage stood on shaky legs. She rubbed her wrists. The cuffs were gone but for some reason the feel of their weight remained. Dragging against her limbs. She focused on her bare arms, telling herself to relax, that the chains were gone.

"Levane? Levy is short for Levane? And why did I not know this?" Lucy was at her side almost immediately. Smiling softly.

"Well, no one does, really. Well, except Gajeel," Levy smirked at the mock hurt that Lucy twisted her face into.

"You told that _oaf_ before telling me?" She asked, voice quivering before all traces of hurt vanished. "Must be love then, mustn't it," She hugged Levy tightly. "That was so _awesome!"_

Gajeel looked to be keeping his distance for the moment while people from the guild came up to her, hugging her, congratulating her. She should have been happy. Delighted. But she found herself anxious. An inexplicable tight feeling in her chest. The more people approached her, the worse it grew until she had to excuse herself. Her head light and her vision dizzy.

"I just need some air," She whispered to Makarov, her phony grin never wavering for an instant. The guild master nodded. He could probably tell it was all just too much for her.

Outside, Levy took off at a run. She needed to get away from everyone. Her whole life she'd believed that if they'd known all those sordid details they would have rejected her. She put so much effort into hiding her history. So much work into keeping that secret. Now that it was finally out and had become meaningless, she should have felt relieved. Instead, all she felt was like she'd lost an integral part of herself. It probably wasn't any particularly good part. But it was a cornerstone. Without it things were starting to shift around. There was also the feeling of foreboding gnawing at her soul. The feeling of something glaringly important that she'd overlooked.

She made it as far as the park when an arm latched out of the shadows and hauled her off the path and into the shrubbery, pinning her to a tree. Even in the darkness, she'd known it was Gajeel. His touch was something she seemed to recognise on an almost instinctive level now.

"Still runnin'? Thought we were passed that, Shorty," He huffed quietly. The day had turned to darkness while Levy was being questioned and with most of the townsfolk still at the hall, hurling questions and random debris at the council men, the streets were almost deserted.

"I needed to get out. I couldn't breath," She said, suddenly wild eyed. Gajeel knew precisely what had happened.

"It was just an anxiety attack. You're gonna be fine," He said letting her go. He tried stepping back a little, to give her some space but she wrapped her arms around his waist before he could. Pulling him against her. He settled his hands on the back of her head. Running his fingers over her hair.

He could feel her heartbeat slow its frantic rhythm, her body just melting into his. She was warm and just the most incredible kind of woman. Gajeel had to face it. She'd just outright _dominated_ the council.

Levy laughed then against his chest. The tension breaking as she came back from the precipice.

"We aren't having sex in the bushes, either, by the way," She said, mumbling. Gajeel couldn't hold in the bellowing laughter that seemed to explode out. Startling everything around him, including Levy. Animals and birds skittered in the trees and undergrowth with the noise of it.

"Nah, Shorty, got a bad rash in places best never mentioned the last time me and a girl took a tumble outdoors," Gajeel took delight in the way she wrinkled her nose at him.

"Just how many women have you _actually_ slept with?" She grumbled. Her eyelid twitching hilariously as her anger started bubbling up.

"Lesser men keep score," Gajeel remarked offhandedly; it didn't console her. She let out a huff in annoyance, turning away from him, and started picking her way back onto the path. Leaves and twigs catching on her clothing.

"I'm just wondering if I should get tested for anything in particular Gajeel. I've questions about the quality of women you shacked up with in _public parks._ "

Levy froze midstep, Erza standing there holding a cup of hot chocolate. The lacrima light directly over her head, casting terrifying shadows on her face. She was looking at the script mage as if she were a mirage. Emerging out of the bushes, twigs stuck in her hair and dress.

"This isn't what it looks like," Levy spit out before Gajeel behind her, still concealed in shadow where he could vanish in an instant, blurted out.

"This time, anyway."

Levy turned to kick him again and he'd already vanished into the darkness.

"Ahem," Erza cleared her throat. "I was just on my way back to the guild. Would you like to accompany me?" She asked. To Levy's relief she didn't give any indication that she'd witnessed anything unusual. The blue haired woman knew very well she'd seen everything, but Erza was being tactful. Ignoring it to Levy's relief.

"Yes, thank you. I've been meaning to check back in on Maeve,"

The walk back to the guild was filled with awkward, pregnant pauses. Levy suddenly felt as though she may have been premature in her assumption that no one would treat her differently. Erza's mood had grown cool toward her. Gone was the woman that would offer her semi-raunchy book suggestions, now replaced with someone who no longer seemed to feel entirely comfortable around her. She absently wondered if tomorrow she'd start noticing similar with the rest. It would probably take time she told herself. A lot had happened. People needed to digest all that.

The guildhall was almost entirely empty, it appeared as though everyone had been across town watching her; the building was eerily quiet. A rarity in Fairy Tail. Levy climbed the back stairs toward the infirmary. Her legs felt like lead and she could still feel the chains on her wrists, despite the fact that they were now long gone. She'd done the impossible. There had to be some measure of satisfaction in that? There wasn't though. She still felt so numb. Her memory flashed back to the girl she'd killed. It was the first time she'd taken a life quite so directly. Actions so desperate and bloody; they hadn't felt like her hands at all. It didn't feel like she was the one who did it. Even after everything, the girls death hadn't truly, truly hit her yet.

Levy lumbered tiredly into the infirmary and paused. Her nose picking up the acrid stench she'd become so familiar with. Blood. She fumbled for the light switch in the darkness before giving up and darting forward feet slipping on the slick hospital floor. When she'd almost made it to her sisters bed she tripped on something and fell. Hands and knees landing in a warm wetness. When she turned around, her eyes adjusting to the dim light of the moon she came face with the open eyes of Maeve's nurse. Lids open, face expressionless, and a jagged tear in her throat. Not the sharp clean lines of a knife. The skin had been ripped wide open. Her blood was everywhere. Levy looked down at her hands and swallowed. Trembling.

She didn't make a noise. Couldn't utter so much as a squeak as her eyes remained locked with the nurse's.

When she was finally able to pull her gaze away from the body, she looked up at her sister. Her chest so unnaturally still. A limp wrist dangling off the bed with a neat, careful incision in it. In stark contrast to the nurse. The drops of blood falling as a slow trickle. It didn't look like there was much left from the sluggish flow. They'd been so careful in collecting it.

Something festering and inflamed, burst in Levy at the sight. A pustule of rage, and anger and pain. A scream tore its way out of her, the scream she'd been holding in since the death of her parents, all those years ago. The windows of the infirmary shattered and the walls shook with the undiluted, raw emotion she poured out into the darkness. Returning guild members cried out as they were showered in falling glass below.

Erza burst through the door, halted in her tracks by the sight of it all. A blood covered Levy standing in the middle. Utterly broken.

* * *

Notes

Huge big thank you to all the followers and reviewers. This story is a labour of love. And ehhh...sorry about the cliffhanger. Try not to kill me lol I'm sooooorrrrrrrryyyyy! Gonna make it up to you guys I swear. Hope is not lost by the way.

 **Desna** \- Probably not as much as I squealed getting your review lol

 **Rachel3003** \- keeping Gajeel, well, Gajeel without doing a disservice to Levy is really tricky. At a certain point having a character fawn over someone treating them like poop becomes super unpleasant. Hope the chapter didn't traumatize you too much :/


	19. Chapter 18

"Lev?"

"We don't know that's all they were after. She could still be in danger."

"Lev, come on. Please, just say something."

"We haven't been able to strip the soundproofing in her apartment. We can't take her back there, it's too public. We could put others at risk Someone needs to be with her."

"...just say something. Anything."

"Have the council responded? We all know they're fucking responsible for this."

"Nothing yet. But don't hold your breath, my boy. We can't be positive they were directly involved."

Laxus, Erza and Makarov talked but Gajeel barely heard any of their discussion. He cupped Levy's face and tilted it toward him but her eyes saw right through him. Unresponsive. Lucy appeared at his side clutching a basin of warm water and some wash cloths. Gajeel moved aside, allowing her to start wiping the dried blood from Levy's hands and face. She looked like a doll. Pale and lifeless. A prop. She gave no indication that she felt or heard or saw anything around her. He could hear her heartbeat steady in her chest.

Someone knocked at the door of Makarov's office and Laxus went to answer it. He was gone only a few seconds.

"Her fucking sister is still alive. If you can believe that. Porlyusica's sedative stopped her bleeding to death. It was close though. Real close," He intoned. Laxus was starting to believe they were unkillable, the amount of times they seemed to have skirted death.

Gajeel looked at Levy, to see if any of this was registering with her. She blinked but nothing else. Lucy looked to him and he didn't need to speak to communicate. While the others continued talking amongst themselves, Gajeel scooped her up into his arms. Her head fell against his shoulder, limp.

The others stopped talking and turned to look at him. Erza gave him the briefest, saddest of smiles.

"Lucy can retrieve a few of Levy's things. Lily mentioned you were planning on fitting some shutters to your windows at some point?" Erza asked.

"Tonight. Shutters will be up tonight," Gajeel replied. He'd been planning to put in some extra protections. He wasn't short of enemies.

"I'll have Freed drop by," Laxus offered. Gajeel's home was already a verifiable fortress in its own right. Some rune protections added on top of that would make it virtually impenetrable.

The iron Dragon Slayer just nodded.

"We'll need to figure out a way to get both of you out of here without being seen. We can't be sure who might still be watching,"

Still clutching Levy, Gajeel turned, sinking into the shadows and vanishing. The ground seemed to ripple, swallowing both of them into oblivion. Lucy jumped back in fright.

Erza just mouthed a quiet "oh". It was the first time she'd ever seen him bring someone else with him into the shadows. She could only absently wonder if this was a gift he'd always had or some new skill he'd developed in secret. He wasn't a very forthcoming guy, so anything was possible. She could it admit it though, quietly and just to herself, that it was more than a little terrifying to know he could drag people into the darkness. Because if you got lost there, you weren't coming back out..

* * *

Lucy's spirit, Virgo, was already in his living room by the time Gajeel arrived there, holding Levy to him like he was afraid she would vanish if he let her go. His body ached, exhausted with the strain of getting them both home. The celestial spirit had already unpacked a number of items for the script mage. Clothes, toiletries, even some books. Lucy must have already had her packing while they'd been meeting with Makarov. The Dragon Slayer was growing fond of the celestial mage. He wasn't sure how much help he'd have been with organizing all of this. He didn't know what her favorite books were. Had never stepped _foot_ inside her apartment. He added some new things to the growing list of trivial stuff he wanted to find out about her.

"Pantherlily has gone out to buy groceries. The Princess will keep my gate open as long as she can," Virgo smiled sweetly. She took Levy out of his arms and carried her to the bathroom. She returned a moment later to fetch some pyjamas and a fresh towel; the script mage was still caked, head to toe in dried blood.

Satisfied that Levy would be safe in the spirit's care, he set about reinforcing the windows and doors with iron. Fitting a set of iron shutters on the insides of the frames. It gave him something to focus on, if he was completely honest with himself. Something constructive. Something other than hunt down everyone involved. He wanted to be a better man, though. She deserved someone better than that. Revenge was a hollow response to grief. It never had the effect you wanted from it. You were always just shy of actual satisfaction.

Freed, when he arrived, was brief and to the point. He didn't ask any questions. Merely set about his task quietly and methodically. Gajeel had no idea what the runes he'd set up would actually do, but he trusted they'd be useful. Complex and effective were the man's signature.

Virgo carried Levy out. Dressed and clean, her blue hair damp and loose. Locks were wildly sticking out at all angles. The woman's eyes had closed and Gajeel couldn't tell if she was sleeping or if the spirit had shut them.

"Us spirits can be here in moments. The Princess has the match of this card and has asked me to tell you not to hesitate to contact her if you find yourself in need of assistance," The spirit left one of Cana's calling cards on the kitchen table before bringing Levy to the couch and swaddling her in blankets. No questions, no assumptions.

It was getting late when Lily returned. Virgo stayed until he arrived back, lumbered with bags from the late night market. The spirit vanishing in an instant. Lucy had held the gate open for hours. Not an easy feat.

"How is she?" Lily asked.

"Catatonic," Gajeel muttered, pouring himself a stiff drink.

"And her sister?"

"Still alive and kicking, apparently," Even the Dragon Slayer was surprised by it. If he could say nothing else about them, it would be that they were tough to kill. They made survival an art form. But there was a worry at the back of his mind. A nagging doubt.

"That's good news at least. Levy is a strong woman. She's as willful as you are obtuse. She'll find her way back," Lily took a second glass and poured himself a shot of whiskey alongside the Dragon Slayer, knocking it back. He rested a hand on Gajeel's shoulder. Offering him some measure of support.

"You were right," Gajeel said suddenly, as the Exceed moved away. Lily turned back to him, questioningly. "When you said I'd be happy about helping her when it finally sunk in." Gajeel admitted. "Well, it's still sinking, Lils."

The Exceed gave him an inquisitive look but Gajeel didn't elaborate any further.

Unwilling to sleep, and actually grateful to have something he could do, Lily stayed in the living room with her, awake, watchful and on alert while the Dragon Slayer took the shortest of showers; unable to find comfort in the normally calming burn of the usually scalding hot water. He'd heard her screaming from near enough the other side of Magnolia. A sound so tortured, so filled with anguish it would haunt him till the day he died. How anyone could keep living, in that kind of pain? He genuinely didn't know. Damp and clad in a an old ratty t-shirt, he crawled onto the couch with her while Lily sat in the opposite arm chair. Gajeel reveled in the familiarity of her scent, and pulled Levy close to him. This was were she belonged. No where else. Concealed from sight, he was happy that Lily wouldn't be able to see the moisture gathering in his eyes at the hefty weight of emotion that was battering his soul.. The Universe had broken its back trying to bring them together, and now that it had, it seemed to be orchestrating disasters to pull them apart. It was a fucking _cruel_ place.

"You're one enormous complication, Shrimp," He whispered, leaving a kiss on her head. Whatever the reasoning for it, she stirred at the kiss. Heaving a shaky sigh. Gajeel pulled her tighter, unable to stop the smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. She moved a hand up to his chest, resting her palm against him. He wondered if she could feel the hard thumping under her fingers. His Shrimp was an indestructible force of nature. For Gajeel, she redefined strength on an almost daily basis.

He felt her stiffen then, coming round slowly. Unsure of where she was, momentarily terrified before she recognised him.

"Ga-Gajeel?" She blinked a few times in the dim light, adjusting to her new surroundings before her eyes glazed over with tears. "Was it a nightmare?" She asked him, her voice hopeful and broken. She could only pray that it had all been a dream.

Gajeel kissed her on the forehead again.

"No, it happened," And then she was crying against him. Her whole body heaving in sobs. From the other side of the room Lily got up and went to the kitchen, putting on some tea for the script mage.

"It's okay, don't cry. Your sister's a tough bitch to kill," He shushed her. Pushing back the loose strands if hair that had fallen over her eyes.

"She's not dead?" The woman's cheeks were red and raw but there was now a wondrous kind of light in her brown eyes; it took his breath away. She was like a solitary star in a dark night sky.

"Fuck no," Gajeel smirked, giving her a wide smile. "You two have more lives than a fucking cat. The pair o' yah should be dead a dozen times over," He laughed.

She kissed him. Catching him completely off guard. The first time she'd kissed him had been clumsy and awkward. This wasn't. Controlled. Direct. Filled with fire. She pulled on his hair and he growled against her.

"I want to go back. I _need_ to see her," She intoned, pulling back.

"We don't know if they'll be coming for you," Gajeel felt a panic rise in him at the thought. He wondered when he'd started fearing so much for her. When his own safety had started seeming so unimportant when compared to hers. It wasn't always like that.

"You can only hope they're really, _really_ that stupid," She said and the look in her eyes told Gajeel that right at this moment, Levy would kill them if given the chance. He knew himself how slippery a slope that road actually was. You start telling yourself it was in defense, then that they deserved it, after a while you didn't need to tell yourself anything.

He didn't want that kind of future for her. His soul was almost irredeemably lost, but hers wasn't. She could come back from this. Knowing her now like he did, he knew she could.

"Porlyusica is still treating' her. We can go in the mornin'," She swallowed, nervous. He knew she'd currently be worried about a second attempt. "Laxus and Erza are keeping watch. No one is gettin' near her."

The reality of that seemed to settle her. The tension slipping from her bones. For the most part she relaxed. But for the look of worry on her face.

Gajeel knew now what she was thinking. The only reason they would have wanted her or her sister's blood.

The last key to the void, the only one left in Earthland. Someone was going to try and use it.

* * *

They were at the guild before dawn. The moon was still peaking out between the clouds when they appeared outside the infirmary. Levy hated moving in the shadows. It felt far too much like the void for her liking or comfort. The sensation of dropping out of reality. No gravity, no air. No sound. Nothing. It was utterly terrifying. She was totally blind there. It was no small feat that Gajeel navigated through it at all.

She could feel the strain it caused Gajeel to carry her through it. When he set her down on shaky legs at the guild, he'd had to steady himself, leaning against the wall. A look of intense focus on his face while he tried to regain his strength. Levy conjured a small bar of iron and took his hand setting it in the palm. He chuckled at the gesture devouring it in two large bites, sighing in relief.

"Don't think I'm gonna get used to you tagging along, but beats the alternative," His comment told her just how tired he really was. The words themselves were light but his tone mirrored the exhaustion it caused him.

The Dragon Slayer's ears pricked up suddenly.

"Gotta be fucking kiddin' me," He ground out before stepping into the infirmary.

Laxus was sitting in a chair his head in his hands looking perplexed while Erza was kneeling on the bed over Maeve. It looked for a moment like she was trying to restrain her, but on closer examination, the re-equip mage was trying to pry something out of her hands.

"You could just let her _have_ the sandwich, you know?" Laxus moaned tiredly.

Erza honestly looked to be struggling. While far, far stronger than her opponent, it seemed like she was having a hard time keeping a grip on her while trying desperately not to hurt her.

"She...can't have it," She managed to slap most of the contents out of her hands but the woman squirmed, managing to position some bread close to her lips. Her jaws snapping at it. "Solid food could kill her right now," Erza growled. Finally, finally managing to get it all out of her grasp.

It wound up on the floor. A mess of mushed bread and smoked sausage.

Laxus turned his attention to Levy who was smiling brighter than a sun. He raised an eyebrow at the pair.

"Wherever she was, your sister turned into an animal," Laxus offered. Far from amused by the mornings antics. If anything he looked aggravated and bored.

Levy didn't tell him that as far as she could see, her sister was almost exactly the same. The script mage still had a small scar on her calf from where Maeve had bitten her when they were younger. Levy had stolen her sweets and tried to scramble into the small space under the kitchen cupboards. She hadn't been fast enough. A McGarden rule; never get between Maeve and her food. The script mage's smile faltered. That had been their last year as a family before their parents died. To Levy it didn't look like Maeve had matured at all. While whatever had been driving her insane seemed to have been _literally_ bled out of her, as Levy watched her pout, she realized that Maeve still seemed to have the mindset of a child.

It stuck her coolly to realize that this wasn't the same person that killed Garron. She may not even remember it.

As she moved into the woman's line of sight, Maeve's eyes locked on Levy's and the first word she said was confused and filled with painful memories.

"Mom?"

Levy recoiled as though she'd been solidly punched in the chest. She'd inherited her mothers blue hair, while her sister had been given her fathers brown. It hadn't occurred to the script mage that she might currently look like her mother. The thought distressed her for reasons she didn't understand.

Maeve's vision seemed to refocus and she pulled back a little, confused and disorientated. "Levy?" She muttered. Erza had climbed off the bed allowing the woman to sit up. She inched herself forward. "You're so _old,"_ She seemed suddenly confused. For the first time it looked like it dawned on her that her body might not match the thirteen year old mind inside it. Maeve brought her hands up to her face searching it for features she could recognise. Panic settling in when her fingers found a face she didn't know.

Levy quickly conjured a solid script mirror out of thin air and presented it to her, turning it so she could see her reflection. Her sister's eyes bugged at the casual display of magic before fully taking in the aged features on her face.

"I look...I..." She stammered, hesitantly. Her fingers touching the very noticeable scar on her throat. She looked at Levy again, it seemed snippets of their terrible last days together, finally bleeding through once more. "Am I dead?" She mumbled.

Levy rushed forward and hugged her in the bed, dropping the mirror. She realized she was crying but she couldn't care less.

"Oh gods, too tight," Maeve coughed, struggling in Levy's grip. The script mage finally releasing her ."Why is everyone here so freakishly strong?" She lamented.

Levy could scarcely remember a moment she'd felt happier or more relieved. A pang of something struck her painfully in the chest and she clutched at her breast. The smile didn't falter, although Gajeel and Erza noticed her tense. It was just there for a moment before it vanished.

She ignored it. She wasn't going to let anything ruin this for her.

* * *

Notes

I know, I know. I'm writing so fast. Genuinely can't help it. Lol

Just a forewarning. Smut directly ahead. And it is a long chapter that's coming too. Don't get too comfortable with what you might think you know about the story either. The only things certain about this story is that its Gajevy, allllll the way, Gajevy.

If you are enjoying it, or even if you aren't, don't forget to drop me a review and let me know what you're liking or hating. :) I do make mistakes, and if I can improve, all the better.

 **piranha pk,** **Rachel3003-** You guys rock so much. Its the reviews and messages that keep me writing.


	20. Chapter 19

The Thunder Legion took her sister after she'd been discharged by Porlyusica. The man that the healer had been waiting on was a master of toxins. And while he couldn't identify what exactly had been poisoning the elder McGarden, he was able to purify her blood of any residual traces.

The worrying thing about the event had not been the volume of black tar like substance that filled the container he held, painfully removed from her over the course of several hours, but rather that Levy herself had filled three even bigger vessels with the same substance that had driven her sister crazy.

She'd wanted that to be the end of it. To be able to go home, to start maybe considering her current relationship with Gajeel, start making up for lost time with her sister who seemed to be in need of some stability. Familiar faces. But she couldn't.

Another of the bombshells dropped by Mr Clearly. This poison, this toxin, consumed magic. What this meant was that any magic present in her sisters blood, the blood that was stolen, was more than likely vanishing. By the time someone got around to using it, it would be less than useless. They would need to be careful about expending too much power over the coming days.

Neither of them were safe. And they wouldn't be till they found out who was behind all of this. Whoever had attacked them would be back. The council were in the process of moving the last copy of The Walled Garden somewhere else. Not content to leave it in the vaults knowing someone was out there with a few pints of Sept blood. Even if it had an expiration date.

They kept things quiet at the guild. Not publicly revealing Maeve's existence to the members. They could be lucky and she might be presumed dead, but there was no way to be sure. Considering their home was out of the way and they were frequently seen with random women, Makarov decided to place Maeve with Freed and Bickslow. Freeds protection spells were second to none, and there were few illusion spells that could trick the eyes of a Seith mage; Bickslow was due back in two days and had already agreed to help check them out for any otherworldly hitchhikers. It was the best scenario so far. Considering she wasn't actually a member of Fairy Tail, putting her in Fairy Hills, while it could be done, would draw a lot of questions.

Although there were a few benefits to being in peril all the time that Levy felt like she could get used to.

Pinned against the wall, Gajeel rocked himself against her. As the pair of them grew more and more comfortable with each other's sexual preferences, it became easier to judge boundaries and limits. Levy was learning to be more vocal in what she wanted from him.

"Harder..." She gasped and Gajeel happily obliged. His hold on her tightening as his tempo increased, his hips adding just that little extra ounce of strength into the movement.

He ripped the shoulder of her top off her arm, exposing her left breast to his mouth before lightly biting down. She tensed, mouth opened in a silent scream, her body convulsing as she climaxed. Her nails digging into his shoulders. Her chest heaving, gasping for air. He lost himself in her. The small sounds, the feel of her legs latched tightly around his waist. It was a religion for him; worshipping her. He didn't pull back when he came. Instead dragging a hot tongue up her neck, catching the beads of salty sweat that had gathered on her skin.

When he finally lowered her down to the ground her legs gave out. He caught her mid-fall while she giggled. Almost euphoric.

"T-that was...different," She mumbled, biting her bottom lip. While Gajeel was certainly more considerate of her during their time together, he'd secretly challenged himself to get the most noise out of the script mage. It was difficult. He was willing to admit that he wasn't used to it. But the more he grew to know her, the easier it was to drag those little sounds out. Parts of the female body he never even considered, he'd since discovered could be erogenous. Skin on her sides. The palms of her hands. Her feet. If the touch was slow enough and light enough, a single finger dragged the length of her body could reduce her to mush. Intention was everything. Speed, pressure, passion. Making her feel wanted. Asking her what she needed. What drove her wild right now might not next time. It wasn't _exactly_ hard.

Gajeel had thought he was pretty good in bed until he met her. The combination of him actually looking to please her and the fact that she was so quiet, made him really pay attention for once. The way her eyelids would flutter, or she'd gasp, when he did something she enjoyed, or the tension in her jaw when she didn't or wasn't certain. To his horror there had been a lot less of the first than he'd have liked and far too much of the second than he wanted.

He was coming to realise that the belief that women were these complicated beasts was a myth. They were people. And just like food, Levy's preferences were growing varied. He could understand. He laughed to himself. She was wild and liked trying new things. After all, who could eat the same dish every day, for every meal? Who'd want to? Sometimes she wanted him to tease her, other times she didn't. She would always ask him what _he_ wanted but he could never quite say it. Although with the smirk on her face he could hazard a guess that she knew.

She turned away from him and reached down to start picking up the articles of clothing they haphazardly left scattered around the room, when he felt it again. A stirring in his abdomen and a twitch in a new erection at the sight of her bare hips.

When she entered the kitchen he stepped behind her, pinning her against the table.

"And here we are again," He leaned forward growling in her ear. He sucked her lobe in between his teeth and she made a mewling sound. Tired and yet desperate at the same time. What he really wanted was to be able to let go.

"Again?" Levy laughed, her body almost breathless.

He pulled her against him, enough to feel the hardness.

"Tell me to stop an' I will," He whispered to her. Despite his overbearing physical presence, he wanted her to know she still had the power to end this at any stage.

"Don't stop," Levy didn't know where it came from. She was exhausted, but she'd experienced how tumultuous life could be and she wanted as much as he was willing to give. She wanted everything. But most of all, she wanted _him_ to have everything. Her voice came out hushed. "Don't hold back," He couldn't see her face but from the tone of her voice, he knew she was smiling. Laughter hanging silently at the end of her request. "Everything you have...just this once."

There was a momentary pause while he considered her request. She felt his fingers lightly trace the length of her spine and when he pushed her flat against the table, it took the breath out of her lungs. So much so that the shock of him suddenly hammering into her made her almost choke, sucking in air. The table under her moved a good solid foot from the force of it alone. The solid iron screeching across the tiles as the edge bit into her hips and stomach. She laughed coarsely, her voice almost broken, there was an element of pain intermingling with the pleasure that defied description. She honestly didn't recognise herself anymore. This woman couldn't possibly be her.

When he heard her giggle amid the absolutely, deliciously wanton moans, Gajeel let himself go. She was willingly offering him everything, and for once, this time he was going to take it. Snaking his hand up her back he intertwined his fingers in her loose sweaty locks and pulled her hair, mindful of hurting her. He applied just enough force to angle her head up carefully, and changing her position and angle earned him a half scream. It was music. It was a sound of joy and pleasure that he wanted to burn into his mind to replace the tortured one that was still lingering there.

"I want...another one," He growled between thrusts.

He leaned over her and bit down hard at the junction of her shoulder. She reacted immediately. Her entire body stiffened. Rigid and trembling. The sound was halfway between a cry and a mewl. The bite was hard enough to break the skin and he tasted blood. It hit his nose. A familiar, intoxicating smell. A quiet voice in his head spoke up, telling him to stop. That he'd gone too far. But Levy herself silenced it. She raked her nails across the table, arched her back further, pressing herself against his mouth. Her haggard voice begging him to keep going. Faster. Harder. He was losing control and he knew it; releasing her hair to hoist her hips up to him, giving him more leverage, he drove into her with absolute abandon. The great thing about the script mage was how effortless holding her was. With her weight off the table he pulled her into his thrusts. Her toes barely grazed the floor while she moaned and cursed and shouted. He could feel her getting tighter as he moved and knowing how close she was, he increased speed. When she came, she came screaming his name, beating the table with her fists. He continued driving himself into her but didn't last long after that. When he followed it was with a noise that could only have been compared to a roar. Sweat soaked his hair.

It was a surreal experience. She'd liked to have said she'd only read about this kinda stuff in books but she hadn't come across anything quite like _this_ in a book. Levy felt him collapse against her. Her body ached and throbbed, protesting the harsh treatment. And yet, she'd never felt more sated. This was what he'd secretly wanted and she knew it. This was his release. She was aware it wasn't the type of sex she'd want, or be able to take every day, she enjoyed Gajeel when he was careful and tender and teasing, but it was a _hell_ of a thing that just happened, and it would happen again if she had a say in it.

Gajeel moved off her and although she suddenly felt assaulted by the cold, she couldn't bring herself to stand up. She didn't think she could, even if she'd have had the will power to. The wobbly legs from before had evolved to full blown uselessness.

Something was gently pressed against her shoulder and turning her head she realized that Gajeel was pressing a light piece of gauze over the bite. Levy felt herself laughing. Her voice hoarse. She'd asked him for it all, and he'd given her exactly what she'd wanted.

"Sorry, Shorty. Not that deep, though, gonna need to clean it," His lips and mouth were stained red. It was terrifying how little that bothered her.

He lifted her from the cold table and carried her into the bathroom where he threw on some pants and draped a bathrobe over her smaller shoulders. While there, he cleaned and dressed the small puncture with antibiotic cream in silence, but Levy couldn't quite keep the smile off her face.

"I don't mind the biting, you know," She remarked with a grin.

Gajeel was fitting a fresh piece of gauze over the wound when he paused. He cracked her a devious smile.

"You developin' a few kinks, Shrimp?" He rasped.

As much as it surprised him to realise, she actually wasn't going to break if things got a little aggressive in the bedroom and she seemed to have a bit of a masochistic side to boot. She loved even the parts of himself he'd come to fear. All things he had never considered remotely plausible, forget possible. She was a tiny goodie two shoes, with a permanent hard on for helping people, for righteousness, and the woman had _laughed_ while he fucked her like an animal on the kitchen table.

"I guess I am," She said, quiet and surprised by the revelation.

"Bickslow is gonna be back later, so we can get you checked out," He read her thoughts like they'd been printed on paper and hardbound.

Levy needed to know if this was really her or if there was something wrong. It was difficult to tell. She'd dated maybe three men in her whole life and hadn't felt the desire to be intimate with any of them. Then there was Gajeel. And all of a sudden she was suffocating under the weight of a lifetime of repressed sexual desires. Every element of those needs he seemed able to fulfill. She just had to tell him what she wanted and it was done.

They showered and dressed, heading out for the guild where Lily said he'd meet him for lunch and after, Levy was going to bring some clothes with her to see her sister. They were already running about a half an hour behind, not that Gajeel felt that bothered by it when the reasons had been so good.

The guild was fairly quiet on Sundays, this was no exception. Saturday night was usually a night of drinking. For Fairy Tail that generally meant Sunday was a day to sleep it off.

Lucy was there waiting for Levy when she arrived. Bags of clothing sitting at her feet while she sipped on a coffee. She took a look at the small dressing on Levy's neck and gave Gajeel a withering glare he shrank from. Unable to conceal the embarrassment. However, her stern disapproval melted at the glow on Levy's face. The woman looked happier than Lucy had ever seen her. Watching her now, the blonde knew just how many of her smiles she'd faked before.

"I think these should fit. She's pretty thin, so she might fill out the others later when she starts putting on weight.' She told Levy, passing her a bag to examine.

Gajeel watched the two talk and looked around for Lily, but much to his irritation, the Exceed didn't show. A small part of him couldn't help but worry over his friend, although, more than likely he'd just been caught up with Wendy. Gajeel ate quietly at the bar; a heaped plate full of scrambled eggs with iron shavings and toast, washed down with a literal tankard that had been filled with hot, steaming coffee. It hadn't taken much time at all for people to start talking about his potential love life. Mira had given him his food with a knowing look that made him want to run, hide and live out his days as a hermit.

He might have even preferred that people hate him instead of this. Just a little bit.

When he finished eating he realised that Levy and Lucy were ready to go and probably had been for a number of minutes. Despite her eagerness to see her sister, Levy was considerate enough to let him finish his food without interruption. That kind of consideration for him wasn't a too common thing.

They left the guild with Gajeel trailing several paces behind them. The women chatting away happily while Gajeel kept his eyes and ears open for anything unusual, but there was nothing out of the ordinary about the Sunday afternoon. The walk to Bicklow and Freed's home was a pleasant one. The Sunday morning shoppers didn't bat an eye at three of the towns most known mages walking through.

Looking at the house with its large, open, vulnerable looking windows a person might think it was an easy mark, but approaching the terraced house Gajeel felt his skin prickle crossing the first of the barriers outside. An unpleasant sensation like ants crawling along his skin, giving him an urge to scratch that he quenched with difficulty. The second barrier was at the front door. Gajeel knew that this would be the big one. Namely because its presence had been deliberately masked. The first spell was obvious. The decoy. The second was the real kicker, he could tell. It was unfortunate that he didn't know what it did, but he could always ask later. Whatever it was took effort. He could see Levy examine the doorframe quickly and he knew she'd picked up on it too. It amused him to think he'd only made the effort in coming to grips with these types of written magic, because he'd been sent to track her down to begin with. And he needed to know what to be watchful of.

As they passed into the house without any noticeable change from the runes, Gajeel let out a breath in faint relief. Freed greeted them in the hallway directing Levy and Lucy to the spare bedroom, were they'd find Maeve. Gajeel made to follow but Freed reach out and grabbed his arm firmly. His eyes were serious although when he spoke the tone was more carefree than the grip would have made Gajeel believe.

In case someone was listening.

"I'd like to run some things by you, Gajeel. Just in relation to the protections I set up at your home," He said and Gajeel felt a knot form in his stomach at the look on the man's face.

Freed closed the door behind him after they entered the study and with a few words and a few quick strokes of his fingers on the wood, Gajeel saw runes encircle the door.

"I have concerns, Gajeel," He gestured for the man to take a seat but Gajeel declined.

"Fine, spill it," The Dragon Slayer had little time for rumour or conjecture. If there was a point, he'd rather it be made sooner instead of later. Freed looked away from him for a moment. Considering his words carefully.

"I'm worried that there's something fundamentally wrong with Levy's sister. I didn't want to alarm the woman so I thought I'd get your opinion on the matter first," He offered and Gajeel nodded in understanding. The one he'd been concerned about hearing them, had been Levy.

Freed held up his hands.

"I don't mean to say that she's getting better too fast. Physically, I would say her recovery is still stunted. It's her mental state I'm more concerned with. Mentally, there's nothing _wrong_ with her at _all,"_ He sat down in one of the reading chairs. Gajeel didn't join him but did perch himself on the corner of one of the writing desks.

"She was almost committed by the council," Gajeel reminded him.

"We've already established that those effects were as a result of whatever toxin they carried back with them. I imagine if given enough time Levy may have displayed similar manifestations. No, what I would expect from someone who's spent their whole life relieving physical torture on a daily basis would be a aversion to Human contact. Trouble sleeping. Hyper vigilance. Reduced sensitivity to pain. The effects would vary. The person would probably be utterly _unhinged._ But there would be _something,_ " He reasoned. Already he'd had Gajeel's attention. They'd noticed the same things but Freed had had a few days of interactions with her to draw a better conclusion.

"Could she be...I don't know...repressin' it or something?" the Dragon Slayer asked.

"An individual can repress memories but the effect of this type of trauma would be physiological. There are going to be responses that you won't be able to just _will_ away," Freed hesitated.

"I don't want to do or say anything insensitive until we can be absolutely sure. A truth rune would be very noticeable, especially to Levy, Bickslow's magic will tell us if there's anything controlling her,"

"And if there is?" Gajeel asked, suddenly uncertain about his role in this.

"Then I'd rather share my concerns beforehand than wait to say so after," He snapped at Gajeel.

Freed left the Dragon Slayer uneasy. An unease worsened by the knowledge that Bickslow had run into trouble on his trip and wouldn't be back until tomorrow. He watched Levy and her sister like a hawk. Scrutinizing every gesture, word, every move either of them made. The more he compared them, the more he saw what Freed had been talking about. At one point, Maeve grabbed Levy by the wrist, it wasn't a threatening gesture, she was just getting her attention but Gajeel heard the script mage's heart skip a beat. Smelt the sudden spike of anxiety. The dilation of her pupils when the adrenaline hit her blood stream. He knew she had issues with restrains, with being grabbed, and while she repressed any facial ticks that would have given her away, she couldn't hide the fact that her body responded accordingly.

Maeve displayed absolutely nothing. Calm as a frozen cucumber. There were points when she should have reacted. Lucy touching her on the shoulder. Hugging her. Levy dropping a glass. Freed was fucking right and Gajeel knew it. There was something seriously wrong about it.

Gajeel was occupying himself eating more of Levy's iron, Levy and Lucy still fawning over her sister, when Freed burst in, the door opening so fast the handle stuck the wall taking a chunk out of the plaster. Gajeel stood suddenly. The mage wasn't known for being easy to spook or for being panicked.

"Makarov just contacted me. The council. Someone broke into their headquarters, took out over two dozen men without raising the alarm and walked out with their copy," He rasped out of breath. "It's gone."

Gajeel heard it then. Maeve's heart, faltering in panic.

* * *

Notes

Have actually had to divide this in two. The chapter just grew way out of control. Waaaay too big to edit.

 **SailorSilentEarth** \- Oh my, you guys NEVER need to apologise for not reviewing and stuff. Never ever. Thank you! :D

 **michellephoenix275** \- I love rollercoasters. Hopefully I can keep you screaming. ;)

 **Rachel3003** \- So many hugs! Eeeeeeeep! Next chapters are gonna get a little dark.

 **spk9293** \- And I love hearing that your guys love it!

 **Where'sTheFood** \- Hearing that people take such an interest in the story makes ever single sentence I've obsessed over worth it!

 **lrcortiz** \- Hopefully that's enough smut to tide you over?

And of course my guest reviewers. Keep being totally awesome!

Lá Féile Pádraig shona daoibh go léir


	21. Chapter 20

Considering the artifact was gone, the council were suddenly extremely concerned with the safety of Levy and her sister. They'd rapidly swung from potential executioners to overbearing protectors in the space of an afternoon. Council thugs had appeared everywhere. They interrogated Fairy Tail mages over seemingly unrelated trivia, despite the fact that the theft had taken place over two days from Magnolia by train and all the guild members were accounted for. Most either on jobs where there were witnesses, or in the guild hall itself.

Maeve's had become distant and troubled. Her attitude to them all had cooled. Wary and suspicious. She holed up in her room refusing to speak to anyone. Snapping even at Levy. Unlike her sister, the script mage took it far better; she _was_ a Fairy Tail mage, after all. Possible world wide calamity wasn't anything more than a standard at this stage. While it was clear that Levy had wanted things to settle down, she wasn't necessarily panicking that complications had developed.

The problems had arisen when the council started interfering in her comings and goings.

"Exactly what the hell do you mean?" She stood toe to toe with a man almost a good two foot taller than her. His bald head glistened with sweat from the lights in the hall. The lacrima so close to his scalp, thanks to his substantial height, that it looked like they were burning his skin. These weren't men trained by the council. These were mercenaries that the wizard's council had hired at short notice. Their forces already stretched so far beyond thin at present. The man snarled down at her, inches taller than even Gajeel. But Levy had spent days cooped up indoors with an increasingly more agitated Dragon Slayer. She could have lived with it if it had been her choice, but they weren't giving her the option of freedom. She wanted out.

"I'm not your prisoner. You can't keep me here," She poked the man square in the chest. "Now, I have an appointment, so if you don't move, I'm going to _have_ you moved," She bit out. Frustrated and feeling more than trapped. She couldn't stay in Gajeel's home forever.

"This is for your own protection. If you knew what was good for you..."

"Wouldn't finish that sentence," Gajeel interrupted, snarling. The man looked to him as he moved to stand behind Levy. Offering her his unwavering support.

"We have someplace to be...so step aside," He said calmly. The Dragon Slayer had no intention of starting arguments, least of all with the council, but he also wasn't going to become a prisoner in his own home. He wasn't going to let Levy become one either.

The mercenary didn't look impressed. In fact he seemed almost eager at the idea of this ending in a fight.

Levy decided against that scenario. She poked the man in the guts again, her finger lingering a moment longer than before. After a few seconds Gajeel heard the most gods awful groan from the mercenaries bowels. The man went as white as a sheet. A wide panicky look about him as he wrapped his arms around his gut, doubling over with a whimper. Levy turned and pushed Gajeel out of the doorframe and back into the apartment as the council goon clumsily rushed in after them, staggering confusedly, looking about.

"First door on the left!" She shouted after him, the man heeding her words and disappearing into the bathroom. Levy took Gajeel's hand and pulled him outside and into the street.

"What the fuck was that?" Gajeel asked.

"Solid script diarrhea," She said so matter-of-factly that he almost wasn't sure he'd heard right. Gajeel had to stop with the terrifying realization that his girlfriend had just disabled a man by making him shit his pants. He wanted to laugh. He really did. It'd probably be funnier when he got over the fact that she could have done that to him a dozen times over when he was sent to find her. He was really glad she didn't hate him. But gods it made all those times he was casually annoying her seem like a dance with disaster.

Bickslow was in the guild waiting for them when they arrived. The mage had an arm in a sling and looked like he'd taken a tumble out of a moving train onto the tracks in front of another moving train. It was no wonder he was late. His clothes were still stained and dirty, his armour was cracked deeply in places. He still smelled like sweat and blood. It was clear he hadn't even been home yet; the mage looked like he hadn't slept in days. His dolls hovering lazily in the background lacking their usual energy, seemed to back the theory up.

Anxious to get it over with, Levy took a seat in front of the mage, taking in a deep breath to calm herself. Bickslow removed his broken visor, revealing a gradually blooming black eye and a deep cut in the brow over it. Despite his appearance he seemed in good enough spirits. His eyes were as sharp as ever.

"Hey, little Lev, don't look so nervous. Be over in a flash " He said with a smile. His eyes glowed green and Levy felt like she'd been stripped naked in a cold room. Dissected. Bare and vulnerable. But just like the sieth mage promised, it was only a moment, just a ripple of unease, and then it was over.

Bickslow scratched his head, thinking.

"Good news," He smiled reassuringly. "No evil, extra dimensional hitchhikers," He gave her a thumbs up before growing a little more somber. "I'm sorry...life's been so hard on you," She knew he could see it. The marks and scars she carried inside. The stains on her soul. She was weighed down with so much death. It would be the first time he'd seen it. The mage had rules about invading peoples privacy like that.

She tensed to think of what he might now know. Gajeel sensed her discomfort and was behind her in an instant, his hand resting on her shoulder comfortingly. She reached up and grabbed at it. Reassuring herself that he was still there.

"But there's nothing evil," He shrugged. "Both of you are doing pretty okay."

"Both of us?" Gajeel grimaced.

"Yeah, got a snippet of yours. Cause of the fact that you were practically hanging off the chair. You're pretty much joined at the hip, now, huh?" He laughed.

Levy sighed, relieved. She let his comments about Gajeel slide. Clearly Bickslow hadn't had much time to chat to anyone at the guild that morning, because Levy was sure their couple status was a major talking point.

"Well, that's good to know I'm not possessed or something," She said looking at Gajeel hopefully.

Gajeel was grinning. It was now really truly sinking in that the sex on the kitchen table, diarrhea weaponizing mage was _all_ her. And better than that, all his. She wasn't the perfect person he'd let himself believe at the start. She was way more interesting. He let a finger brush the nape of her neck as he walked around her and Levy blushed.

Bickslow rubbed his hands together.

"Now where's Freed and the other one so I can get this over with and get stupidly drunk," He blurted eagerly.

"Aren't you on pain medication? You really think its a good idea to be drinking?" Levy asked, giving him a disapproving look.

"Haven't had any yet," He intoned miserably. "Interferes with the eyes. Alcohol will work just as well anyway," He grinned stupidly at the pair of them. Gajeel gave him a bored look. He was seeing that expression more and more as people started realizing the script mage and him were likely more than friends. Gajeel tried to ignore it.

"Your sister's probably stuck back at the house with Freed, Shrimp. We had a tough time leavin' and Freed wouldn't see the need to start trouble." He reassured Levy. Turning to Bickslow. "You'll be going home eventually, anyway. He'd probably just wait for you."

Bickslow stood and stretched.

"True, and the booze back home is better too," He shrugged, unfazed.

Gajeel had never given Bickslow much consideration before. The man was a little high strung and the Dragon Slayer was _still_ getting used to the energy of some of the guild members. So upbeat. Eternally optimistic. Add in a dose of lecherous weirdo to that and you ended up with the soul mage. And then Gajeel watched him make the guards, who happened to be refusing him admission to his _own house_ , dance with each other in the street. Not 'we're two friends out to pick up girls' kind of dancing together. Gajeel doubted the men would be able to look each other in the eye any time soon. Hand on hips, dipping, slow swaying. The works. All to some unheard tune. People on the street stopped to stare at them.

Gajeel decided he liked Bickslow.

There were more guards inside. Gajeel could smell them. They stank of cheaper than cheap booze, smoke and women's perfume. They were nothing more than mercenaries that had been given a council insignia. He recognised the stench of low lives. Freed would probably have them hanging from the ceiling if they caused trouble.

The house was unnaturally still. Despite it being close to midday, the rooms were overly dark. For Gajeel it was glaring. The shadows were moving. Sinister, slithering things. Expanding and shrinking like the breath of some beast and it chilled Gajeel to the bones. Moving through shadow was like submerging in water. The real world became distorted. Sounds muffled. In a lot of ways it was very peaceful. Gajeel sometimes found he often enjoyed it more than the hustle of the regular world. He wouldn't be entering it here. There was something in there, waiting.

"What the _fuck_ is that?" Bickslow spat out. The man ripped his visor off, staring down the hallway. His eyes flickering an intense luminous green. Peering through the shadow. He sensed it. Whatever it was. Taking his arm out of its sling, he flexed it. Working through the pain. Knowing he might need it, even injured as it was.

"No fuckin' idea," Gajeel growled. "We need light in here," The Dragon Slayer looked back toward Levy and Lucy. Levy pulled out her light pen and scrawled something on the floor. A ring of brilliant white glowing runes circled them, slowly expanding; driving back the darkness.

No soomer had the hallway lit up when the front door slammed behind them and Lucy collapsed onto her knees. All the strength draining out of her. Her arms and legs becoming useless.

"I...I don't feel right," She wheezed out. Her skin was changing colour. It had already taken on a pasty, grey pallor. Levy turned and pulled against the front door but it wouldn't budge. Gajeel, recognising that they were suddenly trapped, struck it with an iron pole but there wasn't even so much as a crack in the wood.

"Don't bother. Doors and windows are all enchanted," Bickslow grumbled. He pulled Lucy to her feet. "How do you feel, cheerleader?" The seith mage asked. His eyes scanning her. Seeing something that clearly frightened him.

She doubled over in response, clutching her stomach and dry retching.

"Like my insides are being ripped out of me," She said, her lungs fighting for air.

When she looked up they all noticed the colour of her eyes. Once a deep brown, now black.

"The cuffs on that stand," He pointed to a small table by the front door. "Give them over," Bicklow motioned to Gajeel who tossed them into the mage's waiting hand. He clapped them on Lucy and almost immediately she straightened gasping. Her arms and legs becoming rigid. A putrid black oozing from her nose. She vomited again and what came up was like tar.

Levy stepped away from it. The liquid reaching for her. She threw solid script fire at it and it shriveled, drying to ash.

Lucy gripped Bickslow's arm tightly.

"What's...wrong with me?" Her words were almost slurred.

"Your magic, cheerleader." Bickslow answered. "Celestial mages are basically funnels for otherworldy energy. You open gates to another plane and channel the spirits through yourself, little lady. Well, there's a gate of some kind opening here and it is fucking _pouring_ into you."

Levy wiped away her own tears and pushed Lucy's hair from her sweat covered face. One of her eyes was now completely black. Even though the blonde didn't seem able to focus on anything, Levy felt like the eye was following her.

Levy knew the feeling of being watched. Had felt it in the void. This was it. The darker well was seeping through into their world.

"We need to find the source of this and shut it down,"

Gajeel looked to Levy and nodded.

"Agreed," Bickslow spoke up. "There are souls here. Things so dark...I've never fucking seen anything like it before. They've been fractured. Sundered and broken, then reformed together," His face looked pained. "Whatever is going on here, Lucy's presence is speeding it up. Its latched on," He bit out.

And the council men had just been outside. No clue any of this had been going on behind the scenes. No idea that hell itself had been pouring nto existence feet away from them.

"The study," Gajeel seemed certain. "It gotta be coming from there. I can't hear a fucking thing and I know for a fact that room's soundproofed."

Bickslow hoisted Lucy up, his breath catching painfully with the strain on his injured arm. Levy winced looking at the manacles on her friends wrists. The skin touching the metal looked to be raw, like the contact was burning her. It took her a moment to realise they were anti magic cuffs. More than likely to slow the spread of whatever it was that was infecting her. Mr Cleary had said it fed on magic. It might buy her time.

The script mage walked behind Gajeel, her palms sweaty as she held her light pen like a blade. Bickslow with Lucy behind her. The liquid was still pouring out of her nose at a terrifying rate. They hesitated at the study doors. Gajeel's hand shook briefly, hovering over the door handle before gripping it tightly and flinging them wide.

The scene that greeted them made Levy scream. A pitch that would have shattered glass if there had been a single unbroken item in the study. There were books everywhere. The shelves that had been holding them had been destroyed and broken furniture littered the room. Freed's beloved writing desk was now no more than splinters. Freed was sprawled out, half buried under broken wood. He was alive. Barely breathing. However, still in the land of the living.

But what made Levy scream were the black tendrils growing like branches of a tree along the walls and ceilings. Their origin was a rip in the world. A sparking, crackling fissure into absolute darkness. The void had come for them. It wanted them back.

A noise drew their attention and at the far side of the room they witnessed something truly terrifying. A creature, tall and tree like held Maeve by the throat, at least four foot off the ground. Its face was empty; no eyes, no mouth, no ears, no nose. Looking at it made Levy's chest ache. Her heart faltering. She swallowed the urge to run. A part of her knew it. Had felt it in the well. When she looked to her sister, Maeve's eyes were wide and bulging. She kicked her legs struggling against its grip. Her hands had blackened, covered in the same substance crawling over the room as she dug her nails and fingers into the creatures hand and wrist.

Levy bolted forward but Gajeel turned and caught her, she didn't even see him, her eyes so focused on her sister. The sudden movement garnered the creatures attention. It turned toward them. An eyeless face staring at them. Into them. The entire form seemed to shudder. Its long rake like fingers unfurling enough for Maeve to be able to draw breath. For her to be able to speak.

"Release me!" She commanded. The creature dropped Maeve with difficulty. Every fibre of its visage resisted but eventually it succumbed to the words. She landed as a cat would. Her mouth now twisting into a grin, knowing she had power over it.

"That's not possible?" Bickslow whispered behind them.

"Die!" Maeve voice rang out. However, while there were some things it could obey, this thing didn't appear to be alive enough to be worried by something as permanent as death. Maeve's focus broke when nothing happened and the creature struck out; a long spindly limb collided and sent her careening into what was left of the bookshelf. She fell, clutching her arm. The elbow twisted at an odd angle. She screamed in pain and the noise made the thing recoil. Even without ears to hear, her voice penetrated it.

It lifted its enormous arm to strike again but Levy was suddenly between them, her arms raised above her head, a solid script shield protecting them. The thing hesitated. Its arm paused halfway in its strike. The hesitation was enough time for an iron pole to collide with its face. The metal passed through it like water. Insubstantial. No damage to it at all but it bought them time.

"G-Go...back. Go back...to the well," Maeve croaked and suddenly there was an enormous wind in the room. The black tendrils snaking their way around the house were ripped from the walls and sucked toward the breach.

The wind increased. So much that Levy slid several feet before an iron pole erupted in front of her, blocking her slide and giving her something to grab hold of. The seith mage wasn't doing quite so well. Struggling to both hold onto Lucy and maintain his own distance from the door to the well. The creature resisted too, but its fluid body could gain no traction and as the form in its entirety was dragged toward it, pieces were breaking away. The thing shrinking from its enormous size. As it reached the breach it made one final effort to remain. A familiar scream ripped through the room turning Levy's blood to ice.

The sound was so piercing that Gajeel was forced to cover his ears against it. Levy felt like getting sick.

A block of wood sailed by the seith mage, clipping the man on the temple and Bickslow slipped. Unconscious, he let Lucy go. Her smaller, lighter form flying from his grasp. He fell, but at the last moment a hand snatched him by the armour, preventing him from following. Freed's face was covered in blood. Cuts around his cheeks and eyes, but he was alive at least and with a firm grasp on his friend.

Lucy wasn't so lucky, and they watched in horror as her body rushing toward the opening.

The creature, still desperately trying to claw its way back from oblivion, lashed out, an arm striking the Celestial mage and forcing her away from the gateway, Gajeel seizing the opportunity and pinning her to the wall with some iron. There was a collective breath released and they all watched, relieved, as the last pieces of the form broke up, disappearing into darkness.

When the last shred of black disappeared the fissure popped out of existence. A small puff of smoke lingering in the air and the utter ruin of the room, the only indication that it had existed at all.

The majority of broken wood and books had vanished into the breach. Levy knew how rare some of them had been. Felt their loss keenly. But it could have been a lot worse.

Gajeel was at her side pulling her to him while Freed tended to Lucy after establishing Bickslow was okay. She felt him there. His presence like an anchor. He put a hand on either side of her face and lowered his head, enough so that their foreheads touched. She closed her eyes in relief. There were so many questions. Even more than before. If the creature could open fissures at will, why did it need them at all? Why was it here? Were were the council's men?

But no concern to Levy was more pressing than one. The most obviously unsettling to her. The thing that gave her greater pause than what they'd just witnessed; the creature that mysteriously just spared Lucy a grim, one way trip to hell.

That _wasn't_ Maeve's magic.

* * *

Notes

Yes, its dark in a creepy sense. I'm not one for unnecessary death. If you have to start killing established characters to get emotional reactions you're doing something wrong lol

piranha pk- I looooove my cliffhangers

I'm psyching myself up for the next chapter. If its crossed your mind that Gajeel has saved Levy a lot so far, well, turn about is fair play. Some things will be answered. More questions coming.


	22. Chapter 21

"That's not right. That was never the magic you used," Levy practically snarled. Gajeel was taken aback by the reckless anger in Levy's words. The script mage looked like she was seething with rage. Hurt and impossibly angry. The Dragon Slayer couldn't possibly work out why. As far as he could see, Maeve had probably saved them all.

"Just let me explain?" Maeve pleaded. He could see Levy's rational mind warring with her gut, emotional response. As was always the case with the script mage, reason did eventually win out.

"You have sixty seconds to explain why you're using his magic," Levy bit out.

Feet between them, Bickslow was coming to. His green eyes were burning with power as he batted Freed's hands away. Eyes locked on the sisters.

"It's not _her,_ Levy. Its not her magic cause it's not _her,"_ His stomach rolled and dizzily he pushed himself to his knees. "Her soul's gotta be over a hundred years old," He stammered.

"No one move!"

Just like that, Gajeel was frozen. His entire body so still he had trouble drawing breath. His chest unwilling to rise to accommodate the air flowing into his lungs. Levy looked to be the same. The only difference between them were the tears falling down her cheeks. His suspicions had been right, there _had_ been something disingenuous about her, but the thought that he'd been right gave him no comfort. The look on Levy's face broke his heart. He knew she would be crushed by this.

He desperately tried, but couldn't even open his mouth. Couldn't make a single sound of protest or disgust. Unable to speak, he watched whatever was passing as Levy's sister move toward them. Her injured arm clutched tightly to her chest.

"I hadn't planned for this to happen so _soon,"_ She whispered menacingly. Her entire demeanor had upturned. "But it seems you've left me no choice, seith." She looked toward Bickslow. "I could make the others forget, but not you. And I could _kill_ you but I doubt I have the strength to make them forget _that,"_ The arm was growing purple in colour. The elbow joint swelling dangerously. It looked like it might be broken. "Its a little bit of a pickle, you've gone and left me in."

Gajeel's eyes flickered toward Bickslow, the mage's face was strained in concentration. He could feel the power building. Whatever was walking around wearing Levy's sister's skin was strong, but only a fool tried take possession of a seith mage. The green of his eyes had intensified to the point that looking at them was uncomfortable. The hairs on Gajeel's neck were standing straight up. His skin was humming.

Maeve turned her attention from Bickslow back to him. Gajeel figured even she knew that any hold over him would only be temporary at best. Outside the door, Bickslow's dolls were moving again. Her control over them waining the more the mage fought her. Gajeel swallowed his fear; she was looking so intently at him, it made his heart race. He felt too much like prey right now. Helpless to defend himself.

"This body is too weak to hold it. I could barely even use what I brought back," Her eyes had grown wild. When she lifted her good hand black roots grew from under her fingernails. "I had to nearly kill it to keep it alive. The irony of that. Bleed it to the point of death. I think I was a little _greedy."_

The nurse had been her. There hadn't been any attack at all. She'd murdered her. Injured herself. The reality hit the bottom of Gajeel's gut like a stone.

"Where's my sister?" To everyone's surprise the first person to actually shake free of the bindings was Levy. Gajeel watched in awe as glyphs arranged themselves in intricate patterns on her face and hands. She could already speak, and her hands had begun twitching. The remaining black tendrils on the wall were moving toward her. Stretching their dozens of fingers out to reach her but they turned to ash in the light. Drawn like moths to a flame. But just like the moth, they burned on contact.

The woman examined Levy carefully. He wasn't certain if it was respect for the strength that would be required for something like the spells she was currently casting, or irritation at the fact that she was breaking free so quickly. Her features displayed ambivalent emotions.

"Long dead, little girl. The well is a place of thought. There was just enough left to take. Just enough to fool even you. Enough to fool the gate into giving me this form," She clutched her arm, gritting her teeth in pain. "As weak as its proven to be," She reached out with her good hand and prodded Gajeel in the chest. "A problem soon to be rectified," She smiled at him and he cursed himself, unable to even recoil. He hardened his skin to iron scale as the roots looked for a weak spot. Crawling over him. Where they touched he felt the magic drain. He focused everything he had on protecting himself; keeping them out. But the more he pushed to his skin, the more it spread. It was like a disease.

"DON'T FUCKING _TOUCH_ HIM!"

The woman pretending to be Maeve screamed in agony, falling to her knees. The power over them all broke as she lost control over her magic. Gajeel fell back clutching his chest, gasping for air. His lungs finally able to expand like they should have been before. Glancing down he sighed in relief to realise the roots had gone. It had been a harrowing experience that left him wanting to bathe in flames just to burn the feeling of contamination off him.

The woman tried to crawl away but Levy followed, stalking her like a predator, her light pen still protruding from the imposters now blood covered back. As she continued to crawl toward him, still reaching out, Gajeel growled, kicking her in the face and stopping her in her tracks. Her fingertips scraping the steel tips of his boots. The Dragon Slayer watched Levy come to stand over her, face contorted in rage. Fists shaking. The script mages skin glowed white. Emanating power. Freed was staring at her in something akin to disbelief; she'd just unlocked her second origin. Forced it open. Drew the words of her magic in her own mind. Turning her body into a canvas. Their magics, once so different, were now very much alike. He saw the smoke rising from her skin. The glyphs had branded themselves on her. Words of protection and light. Of control.

The imposter pulled the makeshift weapon out with a strangled cry and threw it to the side. She made another attempt to crawl away but Gajeel picked her up by the throat and held her off her feet. He applied just enough pressure to prevent her from speaking.

Freed took the cuffs from a still unconscious, but much improved looking Lucy and tossed them to the Dragon Slayer who secured them in place. The duplicates eyes were crazed.

Levy retrieved her light pen and wiped it on her shorts. Blood staining her skin and clothes, expression hard. Gajeel couldn't read her at present. The hand holding the light pen shook and Gajeel readied himself to step in, just in case she stabbed her again. The look on her face had him genuinely concerned that that was where this was going.

The script mage instead looked about the room. Taking in the lingering threads of darkness growing up the wallpaper, trying once again to spread. The light that was burning through her skin exploded in a sharp, blinding burst. Turning what had been left behind to ash. Purifying the last remnants. It stung Gajeel's eyes but left a warmth that permeated his core. It was so very distinctly her.

"Levy?" His voice was quiet but it got her attention in only the way that he could, calling her by her actual name. She looked at him, suddenly calm. He'd expected to see tears but there were none. She seemed unnervingly put together. He knew her well enough to know that that was a front that was going to crumble as soon as this all sank in.

Gajeel dropped the cuffed woman to the floor in favour of pulling Levy close to him. With those injuries, and cuffs on, she wouldn't be going anywhere. Gajeel could feel Levy's heart beat racing away. The adrenaline hadn't rescinded. The majority of glyphs were still glowing on her skin. The ones that had begun fading had left white scars in their wake. Like tattoos. Hundreds of faint tattoos.

"Its gonna be okay," He whispered to her. He looked down at the creature at his feet, baring his teeth. "Who the fuck _are_ you?"

Levy pulled back from him and answered instead.

"This is Calus Vigna Sept," She intoned. The council's last little secret.

* * *

She slept in Makarov's office in Gajeel's arms. Both mages resting in an arm chair while the debate raged. Levy was too exhausted to remain awake. No one could blame her. The marks on the script mage's skin looked to be permanent. Not even Wendy's healing magic could remove them. They would probably fade a great deal with time but they were going to remain a permanent reminder of the days events.

Naturally, the council had taken Calus away. But the mage's absence didn't comfort them much. It hadn't been him that came out of the void swinging for them. Freed and Bickslow's home had been half destroyed by something else. Something that scared even Calus. From what Bickslow could describe, it was made from the remnants of hundreds, if not more, broken souls. Some were so far beyond darkness he didn't think the word evil could be applied. They were malevolent beyond thought. Beyond reason. Mashed together with others so innocent it spun his head even thinking about how they'd been held together.

"How're you feeling, Gajeel?" The Dragon Slayer realised he was zoning out. His magic was severely depleted. He hadn't even realised the talking had stopped and Makarov was now passing out alcohol. Even Erza and Mira were in his office drinking. A rare sight. He passed Gajeel a beer.

"Fuckin' violated," He spat. His chest itched unpleasantly where the darkness had tried to force its way in. "Yeah, and really fuckin' angry," He muttered.

Makarov smiled understandingly. Sparing a glance at Levy's sleeping face. Her brow knitted with tension.

"Doranbolt is teleporting the nearest council member to us to discuss this. There's been so much miscommunication, and no doubt finger pointing, we need a figure of authority to speak on their behalf," He calmly explained.

Gajeel read between the lines.

"You mean, you need to look someone in the eye who might know what the fuck they're talking about and see if they've the balls to lie to your face," Gajeel reasoned.

Makarov chuckled but didn't say one way or another if he was right. Gajeel could hazard a good guess. He was good at subterfuge for a number of reasons, including to not limited to his ability to read a situation correctly. Behind the casual, soft smiles, he could see the master's anger growing. He hoped the council member that arrived had something really fucking useful to tell him.

Erza passed, draping a blanket of the both of them. It was so gentle a gesture Gajeel found himself almost at a loss for words. He managed a sheepish "thanks," grateful again to his mane of hair hiding the fact that his ears were genuinely burning.

"All s-class mages are going to remain at the guild until further notice. Natsu and Gray are on their way back..." Gajeel suppressed a sarcastic 'greeeat'. They were strong mages. And they might need them. He'd live with the irritation."...and Pantherlily has offered to pack anything you might require from your home," She offered.

"Nah, I'm good for the moment," He affirmed. "But there's some of Levy's things at my place. He should grab 'em. She'll need a change of clothes anyway," The script mage was still wearing the blood stained garments from earlier. He knew when she woke up she wouldn't want to see it and be reminded.

Erza cracked him a grin.

"I'll let him know. Just so you're aware, we've come to a decision, and for the moment we're all going to be bunking together here," Gajeel almost groaned. He looked around, checking to see if there was a bottle of vodka or whiskey he could sharpen up his beer with. Erza laughed at his face. "Don't worry, there's a pretty comfortable cot in the back room of storage if you two need some _privacy,"_ She deadpanned.

Mira made a high pitched noise at the back of her throat while Laxus coughed, half choking on a mouthful of beer. Erza was teasing Gajeel. The iron dragon slayer frowned.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up," He grumbled.

The door opened and Bickslow came in. Carefully closing it behind him. The man looked a mess. Tired, battered. His arm in a cast now while Wendy focused on Lucy. Freed had gotten off lightly with a few bumps. The seith mage was out of his usual armour, down to nothing but a long sleeved vest and some pants.

"How's Lu?" Mira asked. The Celestial mage hadn't looked the best the last they'd seen. The seith mage frowned. Troubled.

"Not great. The strain on her body was too much. Wendy thinks there might be some damage to her brain. Porylusica thinks its best we keep her asleep for the moment. Recovery is gonna be slow," He paused. "But she's alive, and they know what they're doing," A worrying thought occurring to him. Laxus groaned in understanding.

 _"Fuck._ Natsu. Do we have a contingency to stop him leveling the town?" The lightning mage asked. There were blank stares all round.

Suddenly a whole heap of things made sense to Gajeel. It was rare he ever saw Lucy and Natsu apart. They frequently smelled like each other. They were a fucking _item._ He'd never even noticed. Never even _realized._ It seemed like whatever was going on between the pair, the others _clearly_ knew about it.

The thought occurred to Gajeel that if it were Levy in her position and he were coming back to Magnolia to face this unholy clusterfuck, he'd probably level the entire fucking town.

Natsu was going to go _absolutely_ fucking _crazy._

 _"_ I'll meet him outside town and make sure he doesn't break anything," Erza offered. It would be no easy feat, reigning Natsu in.

Gajeel mused that if there was any way of destroying that creature, the fire mage would find it. The thing didn't stand a chance now that it had to contend with two pissed off Dragon Slayers. It was some kind of comfort to Gajeel to know that he wasn't alone. There were similar stakes for them both. He felt like laughing, wondering if Levy knew her best friend was getting up to...or up _on_ in her spare time. He ran a hand lightly over the back of her head, tucking some hair behind her ear. He smiled when she fisted her hands into his shirt and burrowed deeper between him and the blanket. He loved her. By the undying gods he loved her. She was kind and genuine, so incredibly caring, and second only to Titania, the scariest woman he'd ever met. And he'd been a member of Phantom Lord. That was _truly_ saying something.

The others filtered out one by one. There were things still to do and organize for the evening. Makarov left Gajeel were he was, knowing they both needed the peace; the security. The iron dragon slayer could hear Bickslow snoring outside in the main hall. The man probably passed out on a bench after raiding the guild bar. Gajeel could almost smell his breath from here.

Levy stirred after about an hour. She woke up crying against his chest. His shirt wet with tears.

"My family's gone. They're all gone," Her voice broke in sobs. Gajeel felt a part of himself break with her.

"Your family is here, Shrimp," She looked up at him. Her face confused. She reached out and brushed a thumb over his cheek. He looked away realizing she'd wiped away a tear. He clenched his jaw, embarrassed, but she turned his head back to face her with a firm hand on his cheek.

"They are," She said, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him into a hug. He let his eyes close, breathing her scent deeply, finally allowing himself to relax.


	23. Chapter 22

They'd set out about a dozen separate single beds upstairs in the guild hall by the time Gajeel and Levy had made their dishevelled appearance. One of the larger training rooms had been converted into a barracks. Levy had cracked a quiet joke about Fairy Tail going to war, and opposite of intention, it pretty much sapped every ounce of humour out of the Dragon Slayer. He'd been a boy, eager to go to war before, and it hadn't worked out the way he'd wanted.

Gajeel knew that this was for their own security. Maybe even his more than Levy's. It didn't look like Calus had been interested in her at all and neither had the creature that appeared. But Fairy Tail was done being sneaky about this. They were done screwing around.

Gajeel rubbed the skin on his chest. Feeling his heart skip a beat at the memory. He could still feel it trying to seep into him. Infect him. Rip him open. Bickslow believed he'd been trying to steal his soul, and the body and magic that came with it; Calus now existing as nothing more than an ancient parasite looking for a host he believed could harness the dark power of the well. In this case; Gajeel. If that wasn't one of the most terrifying things to ever hear, Gajeel didn't know what was. Calus was now a damned entity subsisting on the memories and magic; the very spirits of others. He knew his soul wasn't exactly the glowing beacon of goodness and light that it could have been, but it was _his._

It had been Levy that had truly saved him. Breaking free before even Bickslow. Using glyph magic that made Freed's eyes almost bug out of his head. She'd saved him from a fate _worse_ than death. If there was ever a question about the extent of her feelings for him, she'd answered them. Because the power she'd drawn on had cost her. Physically, mentally, emotionally. Exhausted and stretched to her limits, she'd clung to him in the hours afterward. Her body was literally burning with magic.

The memory of her wiped away the the sick feeling in his stomach. Gajeel didn't believe in gods, but if there was one it looked like her, standing there, blinding and furious. It had pained him to even look at her. The air was aflame with her righteous anger.

But you couldn't touch gods. Couldn't hold them or kiss them. They didn't cling to you in the night, whispering to you while they thought you slept, telling you all the ways they loved you. Religions had cold altars and distant deities. And Gajeel had Levy. Warm and soft. Willful and intelligent. Beautifully flawed. He had her tears and her laughs, her cries of pleasure. He'd seen her at her lowest point and watched her rise.

Walking ahead of him, she turned and threw him an incredulous look at the sight of all of the beds. They'd amusingly been given separate ones, he noted, side by side, equal distance from the only exits, and in the middle of room. Laxus was laying back, arms behind his head, resting closest to the window. Erza and Mira flanking the door. He almost pitied anything that came to the guild looking for a fight at the moment with nerves so frayed and a guild hall filled with some of Fiore's strongest mages.

But Gajeel didn't really think anyone would be coming.

Afterall, Calus was now in custody with the council that feared, despised, and wished to have him killed, all in justifiably equal measure. They weren't exactly going to be releasing him on good behaviour with his stolen body, anytime soon.

And as for the creature? Well, it seemed to be after him, not _them._ Gajeel had replayed the event over and over, but had fallen short trying to think of a way it had actually, directly threatened them. The most dangerous thing it had done, had been to simply exist. It had had no reason to stop Lucy from falling into the darkness. No reason to hesitate in striking when Levy had blocked its path. Yet it had, and that was a conundrum. Especially considering Bickslow had described it as a monster made of damaged, diseased fragments of utterly black souls. All held together with a frightening will.

With everything that had happened, Makarov wasn't taking chances anymore. Especially when he didn't have all the facts, and as it stood, the council's motives were still deeply suspect. They couldn't be predicted. The mercenaries they'd hired, the ones that had been in the house with Freed, hadn't been found yet, which was a worry all on its own. They'd simply vanished. Disappeared without a trace. At present the consensus had been that they'd been sucked into the void, though there wasn't a shred of evidence to back that up. They may as well have walked out the back door for all anyone knew.

Gajeel lay awake in the darkness, and after the others had gone to sleep, he watched as Levy quietly slipped out of her bed and climbed into his. Curling up, her back against his chest and his arms securely wrapped around her. Silently guarding her from her own dark dreams. It reminded him of the night she'd fallen asleep in his arms at the inn. The first time he'd really allowed himself to consider the reasons he'd been trying to force her away; when he'd realized that fighting against what he really wanted was probably going to be pointless and painful; that his behaviour was hurting her. That he'd _hurt_ her ag _ain._

Thinking on it, he knew now it had been one of the most pivotal moments in his life. As important as accepting the offer to join Fairy Tail, or joining Phantom Lord to begin with. He was different. Felt differently because of it. The event, like the others before it, had changed him.

That had honestly been the first time he'd really considered himself a man instead of a Dragon Slayer, and that was a big deal, especially for someone who lived the motto 'job first'. He'd always been Gajeel the Dragon Slayer and had been proud of it. But she'd made him feel like he could be more. Around her he was still human.

He slept in intermittent shifts throughout the night, the environment was foreign, the random noises of his moving, snoring guildmates waking him up whenever he drifted off. When he finally gave up on the idea of sleep it was still dark out. To his surprise, Erza was already up and dressed, currently straightening her bed, while almost everyone else was still snoring away. His instincts told him that Laxus was awake, though halfheartedly pretending otherwise. Probably unable to rest properly for the same reasons as Gajeel.

Though, he knew Titania was awake for a whole other reason. Namely Natsu. The other Dragon Slayer was due back in a few hours and if the guy even had an _inkling_ as to why Makarov had sent for him and cancelled his job, he'd have Happy fly him the rest of the way. It meant he could be here sooner than the carriage due around noon. Erza wasn't taking any chances that he'd arrive with no one there to calm him down when he found out Bunny girl was presently in a medicated coma.

As the sun rose at last, the other mages started staggering from their beds. If they thought it was strange to wake up and see Gajeel cuddling Levy like a stuffed bear, no one said a thing out loud. They probably wouldn't, either, given the glare promising murderous retribution Gajeel threw anyone passing who had the urge to look _sideways_ at them. Eventually though, unable to stand the odd looks and thoroughly bored with his suddenly ineffective scowl, Gajeel managed to carefully wriggle his arm out from under her. Taking care not to wake her up, he fixed the blankets around her, his eyes lingering on the small little glyphs now lining her skin and disappearing underneath her clothes.

It may have seemed a little odd, but the thought struck him that when they had the time, he wanted to count them; see just how much of her they covered. He kissed the ones on her cheeks and over her eyes; these ones were fading fast and would probably be completely gone before the end of the week. He smirked. He wouldn't mind if they stayed. They represented her strength. Her magic. In much the same way the iron in his skin did. They also made her look a little badass, if he did say so himself. Juvia gave him an open mouthed, toothy smile and Gajeel frowned, daring his friend to say anything.

Gajeel couldn't take it anymore, instead choosing to make himself useful. While they were staying in the guild they had full use of the kitchens, so he figured he'd start there. Mira and Bickslow were still sleeping and the guild was on lockdown so for the moment Levy was safe.

Laxus clapped him on the back as Gajeel fished some ham for his scrambled eggs out of the fridge. He was shirtless and the hand stung him enough that he almost dropped his breakfast. Someone else would have gotten a fist to the face for the gesture, but he didn't bother replying with anything more than a grunt. And Laxus only got that because Gajeel respected him. Respected that the man would probably fry him within an inch of his life if he didn't at least show him some regard.

"So..." Gajeel was waiting for it. He could already feel the blood pumping hotly in his ears. "...you and Blue?" Laxus asked. Gajeel wanted to literally crawl in a hole and die. If he thought the hushed whispers and funny looks were bad, it paled in comparison to the embarrassment of direct questions.

"So what?" Gajeel half snarled. Prompting a sideways look from Laxus. The man was checking that no one was around. This instantly intrigued Gajeel.

"So you not worried you might be a bad influence or something?" Gajeel smirked. He wondered if Laxus was still talking about him and Levy or perhaps someone else.

"I think you might have that the wrong way round. She hasn't broken anyone's legs since we started..." Gajeel was going to say something else but Erza passed and he altered his choice of wording. "... _going out,"_ He finished awkwardly.

 _"Levy?"_ Laxus gave Gajeel a disbelieving glare.

"I will say the words 'solid', 'script' and 'diarrhea' and let yah formulate your own image of what happened the council screwball that thought house arrest was a good idea," Gajeel grinned at the look of blossoming horror on Laxus' face at the thought.

"I'm starting to think we've all been getting off lucky, teasing the woman so much," The lightning mage admitted.

Gajeel set the food on the countertop and rubbed his eyes wearily. "No shit," He mumbled under his breath. As secure as staying at the guild would ultimately be, Gajeel knew he wasn't going to be able to live like this for very long. It would suffocate him. Natsu hadn't even arrived yet and already the sleeping arrangements were causing him anxiety.

"How long do you think we're gonna be stayin' here like this?" He asked the lightning mage.

Laxus frowned, looking off towards the door. Waiting for something that didn't appear.

"At least till the council have been and gone," He lowered his voice. "They worry me more than the rest. More than portals to hell, monsters or crazy mages. They're the only ones with the power to _actually_ hurt us," He admitted.

Gajeel mulled that one over.

* * *

In her dreams she watched a shadowy creature peel strips of her sister's flesh away. Thin clawed fingers tore into her still, cold, empty-eyed body and ripped out chunks of skin and muscle. Opening its fanged jaws and swallowing it whole. The more she watched the more the figure changed. Morphing from its ambiguous shape into an image of her father, smiling softly, his hands clasped in front of him, blood covering his arms as far as the elbows. The smile eventually changing to that of a sneer. Cruel and callous.

The next shape it took was Gajeel. Blood running down his chin. His fanged smile filled with such violence, hatred, that it seized something in her chest, squeezing painfully. He put an iron claw into her sisters corpse and wrenched another piece away, tearing a chunk from it with his teeth and swallowing it whole. Staring at her; a cold familiar look. The eyes of the same person who once crucified her to a tree.

Levy woke up with a jolt and a small, strangled cry, momentarily uncertain of where she was or what was happening. Heart beating wildly in her chest. It took a few seconds before she remembered why she was here and what was going on, another minute to stop herself shaking and calm her breathing. She blew out a relieved huff of air when she saw Mira look over at her. The takeover mage was smiling but Levy could see the worry in her eyes. A feeling of panic grew at the thought that she'd been screaming in her sleep with her friends around to witness, but she forced it back down, although a jagged shard of anxiety remained when she realised Gajeel wasn't there.

She reminded herself that it was just a dream. They very rarely meant anything significant, and her days had been filled with so much heartache and sorrow it would have been a concern if she _didn't_ have nightmares over it.

She felt the bed behind her; it was still warm, and she took comfort in the knowledge he probably hadn't gone far.

Her eyes traveled down to her arm where the fading white marks caught her attention. She traced her fingertips over them. The skin was still tender. Still stinging slightly at her touch, but they were healing. Magic always had a cost, and using her own skin like she had had been a risk. And a dangerous one at that.

"How's Lucy?" Levy asked, unable to bear the pity filled silence. Mira sighed.

"She'll be fine. Might even be awake later on if you want to visit and Natsu hasn't barred the door."

Mira was a smart woman. She knew Levy well enough to know when she needed a distraction. She gave the script mage a bemused smile. "You know, I didn't take Gajeel for a cuddler, but I have to say, it didn't look _unpleasant,"_ The comment shook her out of her thoughts.

Levy blushed. She'd thought he might slip her back into her own bed closer to dawn, before the others woke up, instead of risking the embarrassment of being caught in such an intimate position with her, but it seemed like he'd decided otherwise. The script mage was fairly certain that every drop of blood in her body was rushing to her cheeks. The very thought made her feel lightheaded.

Mira started laughing.

"It's sweet," She said fixing her hair. "I think everyone at the guild just assumed he was a selfish asshole. Its good to see him in a different light," She grinned at Levy and the script mage steeled herself. This was Mira, after all. She may have played the role of sweet, harmless wallflower, but underneath that she was the devil.

"Oh, he's still an asshole," Levy grumbled, but she couldn't keep herself from smiling at the thought that he was hers.

"And I bet the sex is _amazing,"_ Mira offered with a devious grin. Levy choked on her own saliva, she inhaled so sharply. Coughing she fixed Mira with a bewildered look.

"Yeah, the Shrimp's insatiable. Complete fucking animal. Lily would move out if he knew what we got up to on the kitchen table," Gajeel deadpanned from the door and Mira's mouth clamped shut with a squeak. One eyebrow rose on her perfectly composed face, but the red creeping up her cheeks gave her away. Her voice seemed to dry up, the comment flustering her completely. There was the difference between juicy gossip and downright smut.

Levy buried her face in her hands while Mira made her excuses and practically flew outside. To hide, to tell anyone that would listen, to get a stiff drink, Levy had no idea.

Gajeel was grinning manically. Happy to finally have some sort of control back. If there were going to be stories, they could at least be true stories.

"Bet you thought that was pretty clever?" Levy looked at him incredulously.

He shrugged nonchalantly. She could see in his eyes that that was _exactly_ the case. He walked down the line of beds and set a plate in front of her, sitting on the edge of her bed. Scrambled eggs with ham and buttery toast. She hadn't even noticed he was carrying food but now it was all she could see.

"Oh, Mavis!" She looked him right in the eye, suddenly serious as a heart attack. "You get a free pass cause you brought me food."

Gajeel was laughing at her then. Even while she devoured the food like a ravenous beast, he looked at her chuckling. She couldn't believe how good it was, or how hungry she must have been. The eggs were delicious. Seasoned carefully with cracked black pepper, mixed with ham, spring onion. She'd no idea something as simple as eggs could taste this good. She couldn't help herself; she closed her eyes and _moaned._

"See, that's the difference. _That_ _'s_ what food should taste like," He teased.

"Don't ruin this for me, Gajeel," She cracked one eye open. "I just found out my boyfriend can cook like a professional chef. I need to bask in the eggs," She whispered reverently.

"Boyfriend, huh?" Gajeel said suddenly and Levy stopped eating. Realizing it was the first time she'd directly defined the terms of their relationship. It was stupid really to suddenly feel nervous. Did she really think Gajeel was going to run screaming from her over a word? He'd found out she was a direct descendent of a mass murderer, heir to a legacy dark enough to curl a black mage's toes. Why did it worry her suddenly that referring to him as her boyfriend would be enough to scare him off?

And then she reminded herself that this was Gajeel Redfox and that was _absolutely_ not outside the realms of possibility.

She swallowed rather loudly and he smirked at the look of outright fear on her face.

"You can relax. I ain't gonna run screaming from the building or nothin'," He laughed. It was a coarse, humourless sound. He rubbed his face as if he could wipe the thoughts out of his head before settling his gaze on her marks. "How are they?"

Examining the brands carefully, Gajeel leaned in and trailed a glyph on her neck with his index finger. Watching as the skin around it erupted in goosebumps. They were oddly beautiful in their own way; not all that noticeable at a distance but close up they seemed to create a delicate pattern.

"Hideous..." She remarked bitterly.

Levy flinched from his touch, suddenly self-conscious. Most of them were going to permanently scar. She knew that. Wendy couldn't even remove them with magic. Every day she was going to need to look at them in the mirror and remember why she got them. She felt so horribly vain because that genuinely bothered her.

"They ain't hideous, Shrimp. You can barely even see 'em," He grinned. "Hell if I know what any of them mean," He leaned in and left a kiss against the mark he'd been tracing.

"Sun, self, protect," She repeated the words like a mantra. "Wendy thinks they'll fade...but they won't go completely."

Gajeel shifted in the bed and tilted her head with his free hand, making sure she was looking at him

"You got them savin' my worthless ass. That's all they'll _ever_ remind me of," He left another kiss further in, just under her ear. His hand lingered on her knees, pressing through the blankets.

Levy was growing to know Gajeel as well as herself.

"We're not having sex in the _guild hall,"_ Levy moaned. Gajeel drew back his lips and dragged his teeth over her shoulder before bringing his head up, cheek to cheek and whispering in her ear.

"Why not? Whatdya think Mirajane and Laxus are up to right now?"

"I can't even tell if you're serious or not," She pulled back to glare at him. An eyebrow raised in disbelief.

The room shook and Gajeel looked away toward the door, completely unsurprised. Levy however jumped out of the bed. It was a testament to just how tightly wound up she was that before her feet hit the ground one hand had already drawn a guard in front of them, the other with a solid script fire spell ready to go. The fresh magic thrumming through her made the remaining glyphs shine faintly.

When nothing else happened and Gajeel didn't stand, she turned to him questioningly.

"Natsu's just arrived," was all he said. Already mildly irritated.

* * *

Notes

I'm going to do a super long thank you at the end of the next chapter. Because the support and reviews and messages have been absolutely unreal and you all deserve a mention. For the minute I need to apologise for the long, darkly fluffy filler. I'm pretty under the weather at the moment and the medication may be worse than the sickness, so I'm a little out of sorts.

Please stick with me on this, though. I promise things are gonna get interesting.

If you're enjoying it, let me know. :)


	24. Chapter 23

He couldn't be entirely certain about what made him so uncomfortable. There were only a handful of people present; Levy, Natsu, Wendy and the scowling healer. Maybe it was the familiarity, considering Levy had been unconscious in a hospital bed just like this one, in an overly white room smelling of herbs and disinfectant not that long ago, and watching over Lucy drudged up painful memories of that. Or it could have been the fact that he felt startlingly out of place in the room, Natsu had looked at him promising murder if he did or said anything; Lucy wasn't exactly a close friend of his. Like most people in the guild he reckoned, he'd some unsavory history with her. He was really only there because Levy asked him to be, and he knew she wouldn't have asked if she didn't genuinely need his support. Asking for help wasn't exactly one of her strongest character attributes. She was even more stubborn than him.

But the more he watched Natsu hover over the celestial mage, the more he recognised the stark similarities between them. The actions so disturbingly similar to his own. Natsu glaring people out of his way. Straightening the blanket over her. Brushing her hands with his or the way he moved her hair out of her face. At one point he leaned over her, touching his forehead to hers. An action that Gajeel himself had done a few times. Watching Natsu was an exercise in self-reflection that left him reeling.

Because even he could see that Natsu loved her immensely; beyond reason or a fading glimmer of a doubt. The Dragon Slayer knew then that that's what people were seeing when they'd looked at him caring for Levy.

He absently wondered if these little quirks, little behaviours, were a result of them being Dragon Slayers. Natsu hovered like a brood mother. It would have been amusing if Gajeel didn't know he'd done almost _exactly_ the same thing.

Porlyusica administered the potion to wake her up while Wendy applied more healing magic to ease her transition back to the waking world.

For a moment it looked to be going well; Gajeel could hear her heartbeat quicken, see her eye movements become rapid under their lids. But within a minute it was clear that something wasn't right. Her face scrunched up in an expression of pain, her heart beat suddenly becoming frantic. There was an audible breath of panic in the room as they collectively recognised that something had gone terribly wrong.

Wendy groaned in discomfort. Whatever this was had started feeding back into her; her hands shaking as she fought for control. Gajeel watched as beads of sweat formed on the young Dragon Slayers face, her magic increasing; she grit her teeth against what was now causing her outright pain.

"I can't do this," She hunched over, gasping. "Something's draining me. I can't stop my magic...can't break away."

They knew the instant that the potion kicked in, waking Lucy fully, because on top of the new concern for Wendy, the celestial mage started screaming. Arms and legs thrashing so violently that Natsu had to throw himself on the bed, throw himself _over_ her, to pin them down and stop her doing herself or them an injury.

Levy had become more than tense, she gripped Gajeel's sleeve and pulled against him, that's when he felt it. That now all too familiar crackle in the room; the sudden shadows. A gate was opening. The magic Wendy was pouring into her, it was getting channelled elsewhere.

"Put the cuffs back on!" Levy screeched.

There was a mad scramble while people searched the small ward looking for them. They'd only taken them off this afternoon so there wasn't any doubt that they were here somewhere. Gajeel took a sniff of the air and followed his nose, wrenching a bed up and out of the way, the cuffs hidden underneath, probably having fallen at some point.

He tossed them to Natsu who put them on. Immediately the screaming stopped, her body collapsing to the bed. Wendy stumbled but Porlyusica was there to catch her; the young girl groaned painfully, her face pale and drawn, her hands and legs trembling uncontrollably. The tension in the air dissipated and Gajeel let out the breath he'd been holding

"I'm gonna be sick," Lucy's first words in two days. Now awake, she weakly shoved Natsu aside and heaved a stream of black over the side of the bed and onto the floor.

Levy drew the word for fire quickly but Natsu beat her to it. The floor erupted in flames so hot it melted the tiles, the room filled suddenly with a stifling heat.

"Enough!" Porlyusica slapped the Dragon Slayer hard across the back of his head. "Are you trying to put us in the _free_ beds, boy?" Natsu looked sheepishly at her. Her words were harsh but the tone wasn't. The healer watched the black ooze turn to ash at their feet. Whatever it was, even she knew the importance of getting rid of it as soon as possible.

Lucy sat up shakily, snaking her arms around Natsu's neck, her eyes closed and her mouth tight. Gajeel watched as tears ran down the fire Dragon Slayer's face with, pure, unadulterated relief. When he pulled back, it gave the blonde a chance to examine herself. Eye's immediately drawing to the cuffs on her wrists.

With no open gate to the darker well, the cuffs prevented Lucy from becoming a conduit again. But without them, any magic in her body seemed to trigger a connection. A link that began leeching her and anything connected to her of the magic they possessed. Draining them with a single purpose it seemed: reopening the door to the void.

Lucy wouldn't be using her magic any time soon.

* * *

The council member that Mest brought to the guild was a reed-like man with a sharp face and narrowed eyes. He had almost the look of a predator, which seemed poignant considering his magic was beast mastery. The stink that followed him was a combination of animal faeces and wet fur, and it made the iron Dragon Slayer's nose and throat burn.

He gave Gajeel an unpleasant sneer as he passed him on the way to Makarov's office. Though the Dragon Slayer realized only after he'd passed, that it hadn't been him he'd been glaring daggers at, it had been Levy; the woman perched on his lap reading. Or pretending to read as it would happen, because Gajeel knew that the script mage was aware of every single thing happening around them. Normally so introverted, so controlled, so meticulous, she was having trouble focusing. Her mind absorbed with the goings on around her, weighed down with guilt. She perpetually smelled of anxiety. And that made him anxious. So hypervigilant, so on edge, constantly looking out for threats, real or imagined that she was frying Gajeel's nerves with her behavior. She had him spooked by doors closing and creaking floorboards. The woman he'd grown to love was willful, and brave and strong. She walked into almost certain death for the people she cared about. She didn't let herself live like _this_. In constant _fear_.

This wasn't her.

Ever since Lucy had woken up, the script mage had barely left her bed but for his constant badgering. Her mood constantly shifting meant that innocent, rather innocuous comments and gestures of the people around her left her irritable and had her snapping at folks who genuinely didn't deserve it. Jet bringing her some flowers Droy had arranged to cheer her up, earned him a "And where am I supposed to put these?"

He'd known it would all catch up with her. But he hadn't been able to prepare himself for just how terrible the sight of it hitting would be. To compound matters, their moods had already become so interlinked, so dependent on each other that Gajeel knew if she completely broke down, he'd tumble after her. If she was unhappy, so was he. That was the obvious truth presently assaulting him. He was so accustomed to being alone that the reality of emotional investment and dependence fucking terrified him. There wasn't anyway around it. This was the hard fact about loving someone. You couldn't have the good stuff without the rest, and there was a lot of things working against the script mage, and no easy fix to rid them of the demons tormenting her. He knew more than most how hard it could be getting those kinds of internalized monsters off your back.

She could probably have done with some fresh air, a little spring sunshine and some quiet, but they couldn't leave the guild hall just yet. Not even to get coffee or food. Between the council, and Erza and Makarov, Gajeel and Levy were back under house arrest. Gajeel would have preferred to be back in his own home if he was going to be trapped indoors, at least then Levy not wanting to leave the bed wouldn't have been a problem. Making her _forget_ wouldn't have been a problem. It was amusing to think that they hadn't even had an official date but already Gajeel was intimately familiar with every single square inch of her. He sure as shit did end up doing things backwards at times.

Gajeel wasn't the greatest when it came to affairs of the heart but he knew enough to recognize the strain this was having on the both of them.

"Hey, Shrimp," He whispered in her ear, repositioning her in her lap; his hand splayed across her stomach. People had gotten used to seeing them together and while it was clear some members were still hung up talking about them, they'd had their fill of the two of them to really notice Gajeel leaning forward and resting his chin on her shoulder.

"Hmm?" She asked, basking in the sudden close proximity.

"Don't make any plans tonight," He found himself ginning.

Gajeel Redfox had never organized a date before. Never even been on one. Meeting random women to hook up didn't count. Taking these aforementioned women to bars, drinking, also didn't count.

But if there was one thing that Gajeel didn't shy away from, it was a challenge. And if there was one thing he thought Levy could do with, it was an evening outside of her own despair.

* * *

She had no idea what she was doing. He told her to wear something nice, but she'd quickly remembered that out of the handful of items Lily had dropped up, she had nothing that could constitute as note worthy. T-shirts, shorts, pyjamas. The only dress with her in the laundry, and no one free to get her anything from her apartment.

She had no jewelry with her, no makeup. No footwear beyond her boots. Under the glare of the light her brands stood out strangely.

It was all her fault. All of it. Lucy might never be able to see her spirits again, never be well again, all because of her. She'd caused untold suffering and misery to her friends. She didn't deserve to go on dates. To be happy. The way he'd looked at her, she had the feeling Natsu was growing to hate her. Could she really blame him? Levy wanted to crawl into a dark hole and fade away.

Frustrated, she threw on a long vest that just about hit her thighs and tied it off with a belt borrowed from Juvia. She looked ridiculous. So much in fact that the sight of it made her laugh. There was that at least. Did it really matter, anyway?

Nervous but not entirely certain why she should be, Levy waited outside the storage room upstairs. He'd been insistent she meet him here but hadn't said why. Quiet room upstairs? No other guildmates snooping about? She could hazard a guess as to what Gajeel's version of a date was going to be, and she couldn't even say she minded that. She'd missed the insatiable energy that just seemed to follow him around. He kissed her like he needed her lips to _live._ To be wanted with that much intensity was something a woman could only dream of feeling.

Warm arms slipped around her and she felt his breath in her ear.

"You ready to go?" He asked. Levy felt herself torn with a pained smile.

"Go _where?"_ Her voice wavered. She knew they couldn't leave the guild. It wouldn't necessarily be beyond Gajeel to sneak her out but that would be pretty dangerous, all things considered. And then there was the storage room. Why here of all places?

He took her hand and led her inside, shutting the door behind them. The room was dark, the lights off save for the light of the moon beaming in through the open window. He walked up to the glass and carefully opened the room to the night air.

"We can't leave the guild," Levy said, uncertain of herself. If he asked her to leave with him. Just pick up and disappear. She wasn't certain she'd have the strength to refuse. The idea of leaving all her responsibilities, failures and pains behind was a temptation that gave her genuine pause. Her greatest temptation was always esc _ape._

He openly smiled at her. Those grins he knew she loved.

"Don't worry, we ain't leaving the guild," He assured her, looking as genuine as she'd ever seen him look. Silently asking her to trust him. To put her trust _in_ him, even just this one time.

He climbed up on the window sill and held out his hand to her. Levy stood there frozen in awe. The sight so utterly surreal it took her breath away; the moon rising behind him bathing him in soft white light, wind blowing his black hair about his face, and his fingers outstretched toward her. For a moment he could have been mistaken for a god, reaching out to offer her salvation.

She steeled herself and reached out to him. In a heartbeat he'd pulled her up to him and then they dropped.

She felt her heart skyrocket up into her throat as they fell. It was a tall building and while they wouldn't be landing out front on the stone cobbles of the street, the dirt training area at the back of the guild hall was packed solid. From this type of height, it wouldn't make all that much of a difference what they landed on. It was going to be unpleasant.

But they didn't fall far, if anything it was maybe only about ten feet they dropped before landing on a flat surface; a segment of lower level roof on one of the back extensions that had been added. When he set her down she noticed that there was a blanket under her feet, two plates, a bottle of wine and it looked like a picnic basket of food. The waxon moon greeted her, lingering over the night time ocean. The water glistened in the darkness. The view was _spectacular._ She turned to Gajeel and the man was looking irritatingly smug.

"This is incredible," She whispered in awe. Finally sitting down. Her ankle boots dangling over the edge of the roof. "For someone who says he hates romance..." She trailed off with a sideways grin.

He sat beside her and handed her a glass of wine. It was red and overly sweet but it was possibly one of the nicest things she'd tasted in days. Food had become as appealing as gravel.

"Yeah, well, at least its quiet," He huffed, sitting back against the adjacent wall, feet crossed while he stripped meat off a leg of chicken.

She had absolutely no idea why, but him sitting there pretending to be coy and gruff, after setting up such a romantic evening was just so unbelievably Gajeel. Despite everything going on around them he was still the same person she'd grown to love. Awkward, caring, terrified of anyone figuring that out. She laughed at the face he pulled when he noticed her staring, the wine warming its way down through her leaving a light, carefree echo in its wake. Looking out over the ocean, she felt free. The freest she had in a while.

She turned around and moved close to him, setting a few items of food on the nearest plate. He moved his arm so that she could lean against him.

"You're really full of surprises, you know that?" She remarked with a grin.

"Yeah, well, I was in Phantom, we were all sneaky bastards, gihi" He laughed.

"Even Juvia?"

 _"Especially_ Juvia," He deadpanned but his eyes held all the humour his voice hid.

It was the first time she'd heard him joke about his time in Phantom Lord. Bringing it up in the past normally resulted in the man becoming defensive or clamming up completely, but he seemed to be coming to terms with it.

"It must of been pretty shitty, living like that," She offered, her voice soft. He took a slow, hesitant breath.

"Yeah, but...that ain't an excuse," He sounded conflicted. He used to believe that his circumstances were to blame for the man he turned into. The one that was so angry and bitter about life. But then he found out that misery and pain didn't have to define you. If you really wanted to, you could be something different. You didn't have to bend. _She_ certainly hadn't.

"I did some fucked up things, and it _wasn't_ just cause José told me to. I fuckin' _enjoyed_ doing them," His voice had become low. It sent a sick chill of fear through her. A sliver of something left, something that had burrowed into her, while she was pinned to that tree.

"And now?" She asked, suddenly nervous about his answer.

"Part of me still does, but...mostly I jus' feel sick with myself after," He admitted. "I think there's always gonna be something in there that gets off on hurtin' people," The confession hung heavily on him. It was the kind of knowledge that would rightfully send a woman screaming for the hills. A red flag for trouble if ever there was one.

She pressed herself closer. Curled into his side so tightly she was almost on his lap.

"Its the control I think you like..." She smiled up at him. "Like when you told Mirajane about our kitchen forays," She pulled his arm tighter around herself, smirking. "If something bad is going to happen, you may as well be the one doing it," She sighed. "Certainly beats being on the receiving end sometimes."

He went suddenly still, thinking about her words, shocked by how close they'd stuck. Gajeel reached his other arm over and pulled her into his lap, wrapping his arms around her.

"I-I'm no better, Gajeel," She found herself saying. "I don't have any reason to keep at this anymore. My sister's _gone._ But I can't leave things as they are," She'd sworn at the start of this that if blood was going to be shed she would be the one to bleed. The council had Calus but she didn't feel that that was the last they'd hear about him. And then there was Lucy. She couldn't leave this to someone else to fix. This was her responsibility.

Unfortunately, she didn't know enough about void space to even contemplate a starting point. No one really did. Well, _almost_ no one.

The only person who might know what was happening was currently in a council cell.

"I'm going to need to speak to him," She whispered resolutely.

Gajeel turned her so that she straddled him.

"I figured you would," He grinned mischievously.

"Oh yeah, mister smarty pants, and what else have you figured, huh?" She poked him lightly in the chest, punctuating her words. The look of smugness on his face only seemed to grow as he slid his hands along her thighs. His thumbs tracing circles.

"We technically aren't _in_ the guildhall anymore," He remarked, smiling while she leaned in to kiss him.

He wasn't wrong when he'd called himself sneaky.

* * *

Notes

The next chapter is going to be a little bit fucked up. There will be _mentions_ of rape. Torture. Some horror. Okay, maybe slightly more than some horror. But I'm gonna remind folks that while this story is dark, I don't do needless violence. I don't do pointless deaths. And by the hell, there are enough rape fics out there without me adding to the pile.

I need to give a special mention to Rachel3003 for the moral support and being an utterly _amazing_ human being and Where'sTheFood for the questions. The only thing I love more than writing this story is talking about it; having people come to me with questions about it is an absolute highlight. I also got a shout out on tumblr which is a complete first for me. I will admit, I kinda cried a little.

But, by the gods, I digress. There are so many people that I need to thank for keeping me going with this. I know people probably wonder how I can get out chapters so fast, and ultimately the reason is that story is already mostly written. A few things change depending on my mood writing it up, but its already laid out, chapter by chapter. Its honestly a joy to finally get it out of my head and into written form and even better that people enjoy it.

To the following people, you have contributed to this story with every fav, every message, every review. I can't thank you enough!

Rachel3003, EllaEllaAye, suicuneluvr, Desna, Where'sTheFood, MissOtak1, susan. miles.311, piranha pk, SailorSilentEarth, michellephoenix275, lrcortiz.


	25. Chapter 24

The Fairy Tail members cautiously trailed Mr Davras through the old fortress that had been serving as the council's nearby post to Magnolia town. The beast master mage that had been sent to speak to Makarov was distinctly unhappy about the whole situation. It had been no small feat to get him to agree to this. Gajeel was fairly certain the old guild master was still drinking back home after the trauma of the two day long negotiations.

He'd no idea what the council had been promised but in the end they must have wanted it it badly enough to entertain the idea of letting Fairy Tail into one of their compounds to interrogate a prison they were fully intending on executing.

The hired guards escorting them were nervous. The ill fitting jackets draped over their regular clothing and armour stunk to high heaven of sweat, agitation and a potent mix of excitement he wasn't able to place. If Levy was anxious, he didn't have a word for them.

It was increasingly easy to tell the mercenaries from the actual council mages as they were paraded through the fortress. What stood out for Gajeel was that the mercenaries were mostly unkept, with hard eyes and even rougher demeanor. Not the overly polite, stiffened shirts normally found lingering in the corridors of council occupied buildings. These men watched everything around them as though they were expecting trouble, they didn't speak, and the vast majority smelled like the local tavern after lock up. Stale booze and smoke lingering in their very pores. They weren't the neat and tidy military the council liked to keep. Which was troubling.

The group of mages imposing their will on the kingdom of Fiore knew, at least where it concerned regular people, that appearances were very important. They had to _look_ orderly, if they wanted to enforce order. It was as much about _who_ gave out the commands, as much as it was what they were saying.

They must have been incredibly desperate if they were willing to risk an already shaky public opinion of them by hiring goons. People had already been talking about scuffles in the town after hours when they were leaving Magnolia. Gajeel hoped the council knew what they were getting into, and that they didn't run out of gold in the meantime. Because resorting to hired mercs betrayed a core weakness they couldn't afford if the rumours of possible invasion were true.

Makarov in his wisdom, hadn't wanted them to go alone so he'd ordered Erza and Bickslow to tag along. It was a tactical decision. Erza was as much a show of strength as she was legitimate reinforcement, and Bickslow was there to ensure there was no deception. Calus was dangerous. If he could change bodies like he'd implied, it was best they were always certain of who they were actually speaking with. The old man believed that in a way Calus feared the seith mage. In the general way manipulators often fear being the ones that get manipulated. Someone with the ability to control souls was a threat to something like Calus Sept. If he got out, Bickslow might be needed to take him down.

Alongside the two mages, Lucy had demanded, outright _demanded,_ to accompany them. Unwilling to be a bystander while they took risks for her. Gajeel understood that as much as anyone. He was also able to now appreciate why Natsu didn't leave her side.

The group was a formidable looking one, and no mistake.

"There have been _complications,"_ The council member began. They were stood outside the chamber doors. They'd expected to be brought down into the cells, or something resembling a prison or dungeon, instead the enormous doors looked to be to a great hall instead. More mercenaries flanked the entranceway, their familiar smell unsettling Gajeel.

"As soon as he was brought in he decided he was going to play the roll of innocent victim in all this. The punishment for his crimes is death, but the council is rather divided on the subject of guilt," He admitted scornfully.

"Play the victim?" Levy asked, uncertain what he could mean. Then it dawned on her exactly what he was talking about. "He's still pretending to be her, isn't he?" She asked, voice filled with conflicting emotion.

"Yes. Well enough that even truth spells are having difficulty ascertaining the reality of it,"

"Its because he's holding a piece of her soul. Her memories. Wrapping himself up in them. When he does I'd say he'd be hard pressed to tell you himself, who he is," Bickslow spat. Calus was an abomination. As much of one as the creature hunting him.

Davras smiled at the seith.

"We figured exactly the same. Which is why we had him brought here. Get to the bottom of it all before we lose the opportunity,"

"Lose the opportunity?" Erza caught his words.

"His body is dying," He punctuated the words by flinging the doors open.

Levy recognised the enormous lacrima suspended from the ceiling almost immediately. It was one of only a handleful of Fiorian artifact's considered to be legendary class. Its location a closely kept council secret that was changed every few weeks. It was one of the oldest functioning artifacts left in Fiore and when powered up it held the potential to cast incredibly powerful enchantment spells. She'd only seen pictures of it in books. The ornate gold designs etched into the surface of the crystal giving it away. She hadn't thought it would be so big.

Under it, a small ten foot by ten foot cage housed the dark mage. His stolen body had begun to rot. Its teeth blackening, yellow sores and blistering pustules covering every inch of exposed skin.

Maeves image was almost skeletal. The ribs of the body visible against the prisoners rags. Dying seemed an understatement.

"What are you going to do?" Lucy asked, her arm linked with Natsu who was almost half supporting her.

"With this artifact we can give him his true body. Where individual spells have failed, it'll burn away the lie he's so cleverly thought was going to save him. His true self will be revealed. Then, we will permit you to speak with him before he's put to death," The man seemed eager to commence with the execution and ruffled that he'd been denied so far.

"Well, then you better get on with it, we ain't got all day," Gajeel growled. Erza turned to him and fixed him with a pointed look, sharp enough to sheer solid stone. The Iron Dragon Slayer grunted and turned away from her. He'd pick his battles.

At Davras' command a large sheet was pulled from a pedestal at the far side of the room. Sunlight streamed in over the now exposed stone and was deflected around the room with some carefully placed mirrors, before finally the focused light hit the enormous crystal suspended above them. It was what powered the lacrima; its energy drawn from the very power of the sun itself.

They watched as the woman's form began to burn away in the light, change and reform itself. Her face widened, her eyes narrowed, her body seemed to grow; the feminine features becoming clearly masculine although no less frail. He was now much taller than Maeve had been, but if he'd been hoping for a reprieve from death, he received no such thing. The body had _aged,_ somewhat spectacularly at that. He stood on shaky legs hobbled by the century that had passed in his absence. His head balding with dark spots, his skin yellow. Bickslow had mentioned that his soul would have been over a hundred years old. It would seem that the enchantment had done its job and time was going to catch up with him eventually. Not even a mage as powerful as him could cheat death.

Davras had an incredibly smug look about his face. Gajeel could tell that he'd probably been the one driving the 'execute now, worry about guilt later on' side of the council debate. He looked like a cat that had just gotten all the cream. Utterly satisfied by the results of his little endeavor.

Before anything could be said or questions asked Gajeel felt himself waver on his feet. It was an odd sensation of suddenly being submerged in water. The smallest movements met resistance. As though he'd been tied down with lead weights and dropped into the sea. The oppressive feeling grew until he was too dizzy and weak to even remain upright.

He fell to his knees, watching as the other mages in the room collapsed. Still conscious, still aware, but like him, their bodies didn't seem to be responding. Drugged. Poisoned with sonething that had been released into the air on their arrival.

His vision was still swimming but he saw enough to see the mercenaries, mouths covered with leather masks, begin fitting anti-magic cuffs on them. One of the men got to Lucy and when he realized she was already wearing one, he gave her a kick, laughing about Fairy Tail half doing his job for him. Gajeel felt something latch around his ankle and he felt his magic dissipate like smoke in the wind.

At his side, sprawled out, Levy lay, wide-eyed and clutching his hand. Her eyes locked on his in terror.

Her grip was tight enough that when two men hauled Gajeel to his knees and dragged him forward she was carried with him several feet, tears running down her cheeks.

Then they were opening the cage door and when he realized what was going to happen he pulled against the men holding him. The force of his efforts so great that two more mercenaries joined in to hold him still. Someone struck him with the pommel of a sword and Gajeel saw stars momentarily. He was so used to defending himself with iron scales that the taste of his own blood on his lips was leagues beyond strange.

"And here we are again, Gajeel," Calus spoke, the familiar tone now coupled with a more sinister voice. The dark mage shook his wrists, rattling the chains that were linking his hands and someone appeared with keys to free him from the cuffs.

"You will not move," He commanded and Gajeel felt the familiar panic of having no control over his body. "You can remove the cuffs from the rest, everyone except little blue Levy here," He looked down to the woman and smiled. A horrifyingly self-satisfied grin. "It'll only interfere with the process," Gajeel's eyes followed the mercenaries around the room as they removed the anti-magic chains from the rest. The magic was stronger than before. More intense. The power he'd wielded in Maeve's form had been only a fraction of what he currently had. His frail form didn't seem to be hindering him at all. It was with a nauseating stab of despair that Gajeel realized that Bickslow wouldn't be breaking out of this.

"When I'm done taking your body, stealing all your _worthwhile_ memories, your knowledge, I'm going to eat their souls. Rip them open and spit out the remains. I'll take their joy..." He pressed a single finger into Gajeel's chest and it felt like fire had just been poured into his veins, the shock of such agony pulled a half scream from the man. "...and I'll take their happiness..." More fingers joined the first one until his hand lay splayed on Gajeel's chest. "...and when I have your body and your power, I'll take their wretched lives."

The world around him seemed to warp and twist, a piercing sound echoing in his head as reality itself bled away into nothing. The noise he was hearing being his own dying screams.

* * *

Gajeel blinked. Sunlight burning into his eyes as he found himself laying in the grass, sun beaming down on his face, warm and blinding. He sat up and tried to shake himself of the dream he'd had. The nightmare. But visions of torture and memories of pain lingered. He was somewhere, doing something important but like steam it seemed to vanish.

"Daddy! Mommy won't let me play in the rock castle,"

He sat up and young girl of about five or six was standing over him, hands on her hips and pouting furiously. He felt himself smiling at the sight despite himself.

"That ain't a castle to play in, Shorty number two, its a ruin. You go climbin' all over that, you're only gonna end up hurt," He stood up slowly, looking down at the girl. Tall for her age, large, intelligent brown eyes, a sharp, eager look in them. Framed by a plait of black hair over alabaster skin. She blinked owlishly at him and he felt himself wanting to cave.

"Hey, don't be usin' that on me! You can use that shit on everyone else, but don't go playing the water works card again," He growled. The girl could cry on command and when it concerned him and getting what she wanted, she knew he was a weak link in the parental authority chain.

Her expression seemed to drop, her jaw hanging open. She quickly covered her own mouth in a look of blossoming horror.

"Daddy said a bad word..." She squeaked. Her mouth twisting into a devious smile. "Ooooh, Daddy's in trouble now."

"Why's daddy in trouble?" Levy asked walking into view. The woman picking twigs and leaves out of her hair. Clearly having been given the run around by their daughter.

"He was saying bad words," She proudly exclaimed. Gajeel mouthed the word traiter at her, mockingly.

 _"Really,_ Gajeel?" She folded her arms across her chest, her forearms resting on her swollen abdomen. A stomach that seemed far too big to be carrying around.

When she locked eyes with him, they were filled with worry, with pain. They didn't match the smile on her face or the setting around them. Gajeel felt his pulse quicken. Parts of his mind suddenly screaming at him. Telling him to remember. Reminding him that he'd forgotten something. His hand found its way to his chest, pressing g his fingers into the muscle, rubbing at the growing ache that was blossoming into a burning agony. The pain there grew until it felt like fiery fingers were slowly reaching into his chest, pushing passed the muscle and sinew and bone. The memories surfacing, riding along the waves of pain back to his awareness.

When he stood, the pain had receded somewhat but around him the world had frozen. Levy, their daughter, all stopped in time. Gajeel did a double take, looking at the scene in awe, now remembering the truth amidst the lies. They didn't have a daughter. And yet looking at the small girl Gajeel felt a pang of knowing. This, this was something he _wanted._

"With power and skills like yours you could have almost anything, and this is the kind of _drivel_ you yearn for?" There was a man standing there then, at his side. His hands clasped together in quiet appraisal.

"As if this isn't anything more than a fantasy?"

Gajeel remembered now and while he didn't fully understand where he was, or what was going on, he knew now that this was an illusion, more than likely of Calus's making. He struck out with a fist, the movement lightning fast, only to find his hand pass cleanly through the man, as if he wasn't even there. Nothing more than a figment.

Calus smiled at him. His appearance now resembling the man he'd been in his youth, familiar brown eyes and nose, a head of chestnut hair. His face was deceptively innocuous. Average and forgettable.

"You know I've seen your memories." His smile melted away into seriousness. "Do you really thing this is a future you could have?"

Gajeel felt himself recoil at the question. There were things he'd done, truly terrible things that not even José had known about. Monstrous things he'd been too ashamed to even speak about back at Phantom Lord, a place where stories of cruelty and violence got you a free drink at the bar. But the dark mage was in here now. Had access to every single terrible detail.

In front of him Levy and the girl morphed into the image of a dark haired woman, clutching a young boy, her eyes raw from crying. Her voice broken from the pleas. The hours spend begging for their lives. The _futile_ hours she'd begged him for their lives.

The Dragon Slayer found himself taking a physical step back. As if proximity in this dream-like world meant anything and could separate the parasite from his memories. Separate _him_ from the images of his past.

"Don't think you can run from me," The dark mage threw his head back and laughed at Gajeel. "These people think _I'm_ the monster in all of this. I wonder, what do you think they'd say if they knew dear, sweet, innocent little Levy cried the first time you took her? " He snapped, his voice ripe with unsaid accusation. "Mounted her with all the care of a _beast."_

"It _wasn't like that,_ " Gajeel roared, hurling himself at the image only to end up face first in the grass. Hair falling around his face hiding the look of guilt and rage he couldn't conceal otherwise. "It wasn't like that," He brokenly whispered.

Calus smiled at him. Amused by how easy it was to get under his skin once you knew the right buttons to push. When he broke the man's spirit, then what was left would be his to do with as he wanted.

"So, what, you think its normal for a girl to cry her first time? I was certainly a popr husband but my Mara certainly didn't shed tears the first time I lay with her. Oh, and let's not forget you practically kidnapped my great granddaughter to begin with," He brought his hand up counting off on his fingers. "After of course the insults and the injuries. Oh, and I'm forgetting _crucifixion,"_ He laughed again. "Out of _all_ your memories, that one is the one I like the _most._ Few will ever experience a rush of adrenaline like that. The fear on her face was _delicious,"_ He whispered longingly.

Gajeel brought his head up to look at him. Renewed hatred coursing through his being. Spilling out his very pores. The sunshine and grass gave way to an endless stone floor that disappeared into thick mist. The world beyond the two of them obscured as Gajeel felt himself abandon hope of that kind of future for himself. The change in scenery only seemed to please the dark mage.

"Did you really see that kind of life for you two?" He crouched down to Gajeel's level. His gaze softening. "Surely you realize that you're _poison_ for each other. I mean, look how weak she's made you," He reached out and pulled Gajeel's head up by his hair. Forcing the Dragon Slayer to face him. "I'm breaking you down and she's _why._ And let's not forget your influence on her, shall we. Everything you _touch_ leaves a dark stain behind. You are a _corruption,"_ He smiled as Gajeel felt himself grow weaker.

Calus had told him all the things he secretly feared were true and it was destroying him.

"The protections afforded to my descendants by my dear wife's sacrifice, have made them nothing more than a poison to me, even after death, so your dear sweet Levy's immortal soul is _safe._ But I can see you've trained her well in other areas I'm sure the men I've bought would find _very_ interesting,"

Behind Calus, an image of Levy appeared in the fog. She crouched down to Gajeel's level and smiled at him. And he felt that future again. Felt the forgiveness she'd entended him. The compassion. The warmth. She stayed like that, her very presence pouring strength into him, her arms wrapped around her knees, looking almost vulnerable. But her eyes were hard when she turned them on Calus. His Levy wasn't an innocent victim. She was a warrior in her own right. A fighter and a survivor. He didn't corrupt anything. And being together made them better people.

The spectre stood, stepping back into the mist where a rumbling growl as loud as a foghorn broke the silence. So loud that the ground beneath them both trembled. Gajeel started laughing then. His body finding its strength. Strength enough to stand. From the billowing dark mist a new voice rumbled. _"MIIINE!"_

 _"_ There's a problem with taking my soul," Two enormous red eyes glowed in the darkness above Gajeel. It was now Calus' turn to back up. Hesitation present in his eyes. In all his years of stealing damned souls, this was a first.

Gajeel straightened himself, remembering what Calus had hoped he forget.

"You've gotta go through _that_ first," Gajeel jerked his thumb up and over his shoulder. A shape coming into focus. An impossibly large, terrifying shape. "I've got weaknesses, sure as hell I do, but this _doesn't._ You can fuck with me all you want but you ain't gonna be able to break me...because _I ain't yours to break."_

Something whipped out of the mist and struck Calus in the chest, sending him sailing backwards. The man landed painfully on the stone, coughing as agony assaulted him. The dark mage watched in fear as a tail recoiled back into the mist, booming laughter shaking the ground again. The look that spread across his face told Gajeel just how much of a mistake he now realized he'd made. The rules of the game had changed, and Calus knew that.

He'd wanted a Dragon Slayer, body and soul, well now he had to deal with the consequences of trying to take one. The dark mage had been right about one thing; too much greed was his problem.

"I can still hurt you. Because I can still hurt her. I'll come up with new, terrible ways to make her suffer. And you can watch them all,"

The Dragon's voice roared again. The sound so loud it made Calus's ears bleed. "MIIIIIIIIINE!"

Gajeel spared a glance over his shoulder. The knowledge dawning on him; why that part of him had made its appearance when it had.

 _Mine._ It wasn't talking about Gajeel, or his soul, or the magic that came with it. Just Levy. Even the most violent, most terrifying and wild part of him had a claim on her.

Gajeel fixed the dark mage with a look as hard as steel.

"Its time to get the fuck out of here, little man, before the Dragon gets _hungry,"_

* * *

Notes

I know! Cliffhangers! And Gajeel isn't going to be losing his soul any time soon but we still have stuff to deal with in the next chapter. Real world stuff. Fuck loads of real world stuff. People are still in some pretty serious trouble. But things are gonna start making sense soon. Swearsies!

Next chapter is coming soon, like 24hours kinda soon. Not to worry. I don't leave you guys hanging long. Its actually written already but I'm still editing. Ughhhh I'm so nervous.

So many people to thank. Next chapter might have a small essay of messages for people. Lol


	26. Chapter 25

Gajeel came to awareness with a gasp. Head foggy and his stomach heaving with the taste of blood in his mouth. His chest felt like it was on fire. He was still being held on his knees, still weak with the poison, the _absolute_ and complete assault on his very _being,_ but Calus had suffered a more serious blow. His chest was rising and falling shakily. His eyes unfocused. His magic was still present but it had been significantly weakened. His body now so much closer to absolute, inescapable failure. Behind him, Gajeel could hear Natsu growling and Levy weeping. The sound of armor scraping across stone could only have been Titania. The woman was fighting like a demon against the mage's control. The control that was now failing him.

He heard the unsteady rhythm of the old man's heart and a single thought, only one, burned in his mind. _Just fucking die already_! But as they watched on, the heavily scarred man holding Calus, one of his old arms slung over broad shoulders, gasped painfully, his body suddenly becoming rigid and his eyes rolling into the back of his head. Calus looked up at Gajeel, looked him straight in the eyes, and _smiled._ The Iron Dragon Slayer had hated a lot of people in his life, but he'd never felt a hatred like the one that gripped him. Gajeel's very soul was still raw. Still exposed and vulnerable, like a nerve to the world. Hyper alert to all the tiny little parts of himself. He could feel that Dragon part. _Feel_ it, _hear_ it. He shouldn't have even been _aware_ of it but he suddenly was. It was both foreign and familiar, whispering to him to kill this man. Take his life. Calus may not have succeeded in destroying his soul but something had split. There was a divide forming, between him and the Dragon elements inside him.

After barely a moment, the brown eyes locked with his grew empty and vacant, and the old withered body toppled to the ground, lifeless; there was a sudden surge of renewed power in the room as the once mercenary came to awareness with a familiar smile on his face. The takeover happening in the space of a few seconds. When it had been attempted with Gajeel it had seemed like a lot longer.d

"Everyone on your feet," They all stood like puppets who'd had their strings yanked. Gajeel's body responded so stiffly he felt the muscles in his back strain. His legs like tightly wound cords.

Calus felt his new legs and smiled. The body was strong. Muscular. Powerful. It was a clear change, one he seemed pleased about.

"I should really approach these problems differently. Simpler solutions seem to be the way forward," He remarked offhandedly before his eyes locked with one of the men guarding the door. There were now about eight mercenaries left in the room with a still unconscious Davras. Outside there was a sound of clashing steel as the thugs they'd hired turned on the council knights in an effort to take the fortress. He took a few solid steps and tightened his hands into fists. Not entirely sure of his new strength.

"Put the cuffs back on, and when that's done, I want you to slit their throats," He whispered calmly. Gajeel felt the cold metallic bite around his wrists, stagger his magic, but it at least silenced the constant voice in his head telling him to maim and murder. A voice growing louder by the moment.

The dark mage stepped out of view and when he appeared back in front of Gajeel, he was holding Levy by the hair.

"I keep my promises, you know," He spat. "And I promised you, you'd watch," He yanked Levy's head back painfully. She was as malleable as a doll. Unable to resist.

Gajeel pulled and struggled against the magic holding him but it was futile. He saw Levy's eyes widen fearfully. She had no idea what he meant with those words but she was a smart woman who could figure out it wasn't anything good.

"You aren't going to win," Lucy's voice rang out loudly causing Calus to hesitate. An uncertain look in his eyes.

Even though none of them, Erza, Natsu or Bickslow could so much as make a peep, couldn't so much as move a finger, somewhere behind him Lucy had found a way to use her voice. Breaking out of his control. The dark mage's new green eyes narrowed and he sneered. The man with the cuffs had only just managed to snap them in place on Erza, who even under the control of his magic had put up a fight; they hadn't even reached Lucy yet.

Gajeel felt that tiny glimmer of hope flicker back to life. Wasn't this what Fairy Tail was known for? Miraculous turn arounds. Legendary counters. He might have had lukewarm feelings for Lucy before now, but she'd taken Calus' mind off Levy, the man pushing the script mage to the ground, forgotten in anger, and for Gajeel that was worth whatever the woman could think to ask of him. If she'd told him she wanted his head on a plate in exchange for a reprieve for Levy, he'd have taken her offer.

"Be quiet!" Calus snarled, scarred face twisting in anger. If there was one thing Gajeel could see he hated, it was disobedience.

"Not _a chance._ Fuck _you!"_ Lucy spat. Her voice shaking. Calus gave Gajeel a withering look, as though blaming him for the difficulty he was having controlling the Dragon Slayer's guildmates.

The look turned to fury when Lucy began laughing at him.

"Someone's in trouble _now,"_ She chuckled.

Unwilling to listen anymore, he pulled out a jagged, wicked looking knife from his belt and stepped around Gajeel to get a good look at the woman before he cut the insolence out of her. He'd barely moved when he heard murmurs spread about the room. The look on his face made it clear he'd enjoy every minute of of torturing her, but that wasn't why the remaining mercenaries were suddenly so jittery.

Calus shook as he finally saw what they were seeing. Gajeel saw it too, in the reflection of one of the mounted mirrors. Felt it. A rift was opening behind the Lucy, and despite the pain it clearly caused her, the agony, she was smiling, rubbing at the skin on her wrists where the cuffs had been. Without the anti-magic protection, the power he'd exerted over her had inadvertently linked him to the void. Like Wendy before him, he was now feeding a door. She was a conduit again, draining him of his power.

Gajeel felt just the barest movement returning to his fingers.

"PUT THE CUFFS BACK ON HER!" Calus screamed and men scrambled to do just that, but it was too late. Far too late. The door had opened wide enough for a long rake like hand to burst through. Blade like fingers pierced through the chests of the two men closest to her, spraying Lucy and Natsu in blood, before it batted another away. A dark form stepped through, more solid than before, bigger, its head swiveling side to side like a pendulum as it took in the scene and its new surroundings.

When it moved they held a collective breath, but it passed by the celestial mage carefully, focus fixed on Calus alone. The eyeless, faceless creature seemed to know it was him, even in his new, stolen body. Gajeel managed to turn his head enough to see the group behind him. He could see that as Calus' power had wained Erza was moving again. She'd taken back enough control that two men had to hold her to the ground. Even without her magic she was dangerously strong and they struggled with her. Bickslow without his power was having a harder time, same to be said for Natsu, but they were all alive and fighting, wriggling and straining against the chains.

Like before, back at Freed's, the wind picked up, and the current changed; the air flow reversing, sucking the contents of the room into the dark abyss. All of a sudden the door was trying to devour them again.

Weak and barely able to stand, Lucy slipped toward it but Natsu broke the chains linking his hands and caught her before she could fall through. Every ounce of control he'd regained driven into this single maneuver; screaming with the effort of it.

And then the portal was gone. As though it had never been at all. With a wave of the creatures arm, the door had closed, and with it, any chance Calus had of sending the monster back where it came from. Even though it lacked a face, Gajeel was certain the monster was feeling pleased with itself. Smug. He knew then that there was clearly intelligence at work; it had no intention of being banished like before. This was _no_ mindless beast.

Natsu pulled Lucy to him, cradling her now still body. He shook her trying to wake her up but although the celestial mage was still alive, she was too weak to respond. He hadn't even looked at the thing that had come through.

" _Lucy_?" He whispered to her and she groaned, earning a sigh of relief from the Dragon Slayer.

Fairy Tail was lucky, the demon that had clawed its way back to their world, ignored them all, all but the dark soul stealer as it abruptly began to race across the floor, at speeds, utterly dizzying for a creature its size. Panicked and terrified, Calus stumbled back a moment before gathering himself and roaring at it.

"STOOOOOP!"

The thing skidded to a halt but Gajeel heard its claws rake at the ground in frustration. Tearing up stone like parchment. Unlike before, Calus was having a harder time commanding it this time. Had he been a little weaker or the creature just a little stronger, the man would have been laying in a pool of his own entrails by now. As it stood, despite his increase in power, he'd expended far too much of himself.

"Get...in the cage," He weakly said, a little more control returning to Gajeel, who managed to raise a hand now, though his legs still refused to budge. As strong as the dark mage was, he had drawn close to the limits of what he was capable of. He couldn't hold them all like this. They would break free soon and the fury that would be unleashed would make the very earth tremble. Gajeel was going to _rip_ him _limb,_ from bloody _limb._ That was if Natsu didn't get his hands on the man first. Gajeel found himself suddenly able to smile.

The creature staggered toward the cage, but as it moved closer to the active Lacrima, it's body began to blister and smoke, black tar like skin turning to ash under the power of the same spell that had stripped away Calus' deception. The noise it emitted was close to ear piercing. A horrid screeching sound as it thrashed in the light. Its body twisting and smoldering. At his feet, Levy clutched her hand to her ears, trying to block out the sound.

The dark mage stumbled, collapsing to his knees, unable to force the monster move any more, to maintain control over it any longer. But he didn't need to, its body had already started dissolving to ash. The fragments of souls forming the bulk of the mass burning away under the power of the spell. Slowly it turned its head to Calus, and whatever the man saw reflected in its featureless face drained every ounce of colour from his skin. The mage rose to his shaky feet and teetered to the wall, propping himself against it for support as he started heading for the door. Expression desperate.

"I thought...I told you to kill them," He spoke, stumbling now in his hasty escape. His voice held no magic but the remaining two men took his orders regardless. Paid to do no less, but their faces were white and their hands now trembled. They shared a look between them that spoke as to their sudden uncertainty. They risked their lives on a daily basis, were paid to do some terrible things, but they were crossing a line. One they weren't all that certain should be crossed.

Calus inched toward the door, slowly making his way out of the room, his steps growing stronger with each footfall. He got close. So very close to it when a sword struck the plaster, burying itself into stone in front of him, clipping his face in the process, a new, deep wound in his forehead that would undoubtedly add another scar. Eyes widening almost comically, he trailed the length of the weapon, focusing on the bone handle before finding its origin.

Gajeel memorized the smell of his blood. Feeling his heartbeat increase at the thought of it flowing through his fingers before he too found himself looking for the origin.

Silence descended as Erza stopped struggled and Bickslow and Natsu grew deathly quiet.

Breaking from the hardening, charcoal corpse of the creature an armoured figure was rising. Their body covered in old style bronze armour. Gajeel had seen its like once before, littering the ruins of Levy's hometown. Spiked pauldrons and a collared breastplate, stamped with the seal of an eagle. In their left hand, a second sword was tapping the stone. Eager and impatient. The birdlike helmet they wore tilted ever so slightly to the side in regard.

The dark mage ran, and the figure darted after him. As he hurried to get away from it, the mercenaries that had been advancing to kill Gajeel and the others, diverted to intercept. The figure skidded under the blade of the first to make contact, drawing their remaining bone handled sword across the man's abdomen, the floor running red with gore as the edge opened him up like a trout. The second swordsman wasn't nearly so eager after seeing that, approaching cautiously, slashing at the figure who parried the blade to the side, before twisting with the momentum and cleaving his head from his body in a single stroke. No easy task to take a man's head from his body with one blow. Gajeel could see that the blade had cut cleaning through a piece of reinforced steel on the mans shoulder protection, on route to the neck.

But they'd bought Calus enough time to escape and by the time the figure had a clear path their prey was gone. Gajeel knew the instant that he got out of range as control over his body came rushing back to him. He wanted to chase him, wanted to hunt him down and eviscerate him, but he was still too weak. He heard chains being broken and turned to see Erza. Her cheek cut from what looked like a steel boot to the face. Lucy was alive, her arms around Natsu's neck. The other Dragon Slayer had a manic look in his eyes. The only result of it could be ashes.

The cursory glance told him they were a little bruised but mostly okay. With the cuffs removed and their magic restored hard eyes met each other in silent agreement. They would tear down this building if needs be but they would find him, and they would obliterate his forces.

Bickslow's dolls moved of their own accord our into the corridors, shouts and hollers echoing back to them as the dolls began systemically taking out men. Bickslow held out his arms to Natsu, offering to hold Lucy for him. Out of all of them he was one of the few that didn't need his hands to fight. Natsu grimaced but saw the sense in it.

"Look after her,"

"You got it. Don't singe my babies!" He added with mock seriousness.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Natsu deadpanned, eyes twinkling mischievously. Bickslow sighed.

"I'm going to gather the remaining knights and see about formulating a defense," Erza spoke out. Always the woman with the plan. It was so strange to hear them speak after so long of forced silence.

She turned to Gajeel to speak but her mouth clamped shut.

He saw the scene reflected in the panic of Erza's eyes.

"Don't!" The red head begged and when Gajeel turned he froze, the figure in armour standing over Levy, the tip of a bloody sword trailing a line of red along the ground by the script mage's face. The dead eyed helmet looked up to Erza and shifted, as though considering her words. Gajeel watched in slow motion as the end of the blade tilted Levy's head back and forth, examining her; leaving bloody marks on her cheeks.

"Hurt her and die," Gajeel growled. He'd almost forgotten the figure was there. Which had been stupid, but it didn't necessarily surprise him that he'd lost some modicum of focus over the last few minutes. The voice in his head was screaming now. He could barely hear himself think.

The figure turned and drove the blade of its sword harshly into the stone, the force shooting an arc of deep cracks as far as Gajeel's feet. They turned away, straightening, pulling their helmet off and setting it on the pummel, the dark bird's eyes glared at them. Red coating the dulled bronze surface of the front mask.

"Gajeel!" The Dragon Slayer turned to see Bickslow staring at them in something akin to wonder.

When the figure turned around, a set of familiar eyes met the stares of the group.

A woman looking remarkably like Levy's sister, Maeve, walked right by them all, passed a stunned Gajeel, Erza and a silent Natsu. Her hair was lighter. Her eyes more green than brown. Her jaw wider, squarer. But the resemblance was there. She threw a wary glare at Bickslow who was staring intently at her.

Picking up a knife from the belt of one of the dead mercenaries by the doors, the woman in bronze walked straight out and into the middle of the din.

* * *

Notes

I honestly hadn't intended for a cliffhanger, _another_ cliffhanger, but thems how the chapters land lol. Rachel3003 and WheresTheFood, you are forever my favorite peoples!

Thank you everyone for the comments and the reviews. We've officially hit the end of the second arc, and are heading into final stretch. I hope you're still following. Lol

Things are gonna slow down a little in the next chapter while we try and digest everything. There's a big Gajevy moment coming up. All the Gajevy. There's been a few easter eggs buried in here for it. ;) *breathes*

Again, huge thank you for the reviews and favs! You guys are life!

CanaryOfBlack, MissOtak1, ladybeth4, piranha pk, Mskumiko24, Chibi-Kill, Sadie Loves DxC,


	27. Chapter 26

"Maeve! Please, stop!"

Gajeel had only just removed her manacles with his teeth, spitting the remnants out, wincing at the foul taste, when Levy took off at a run. Speeding passed a still groaning Davras. The woman she was chasing didn't seem to respond to the name she was calling. Levy may as well have been invisible and mute.

She'd looked remarkably like her sister but there were differences that stood out. The shape of the face, the colour of the eyes and hair. Dare he even think it but Calus had made a more convincing image. Then there was the armor and swords. She fought like a soldier. Maeve would have only been about thirteen when Levy lost her. From what he'd learned of the well, it wasn't exactly the place someone could go and train. And these weren't wild strikes, they were precise, and practiced.

Outside was a bloodbath. The knights and mercenaries had hacked lumps out of each other. The knights, although more skilled by far, had been outnumbered dramatically. There weren't many magic wielders in the mercenary group but they were skilled fighters and the result had been heavy casualties on both sides.

Erza was a blur, having taken off, a number of council soldiers following her, as she organized them against the hired thugs. Natsu was a whirlwind of fire as he formed a defensive line in front of Bickslow while the mage and his possessed dolls advanced, heading in the opposite direction of Erza and carrying Lucy, who seemed to be recovering quickly.

Levy felt Gajeel move behind her, stalking like a predator as they took the final route on the feet of the bronzed figure. Mercenaries that crossed the script mage's path took one look at the man at her back and disappeared out of sight. Not willing to risk it. The Iron Dragon Slayer was barely holding onto his own sanity.

Levy saw only snippets of the woman she was following, she couldn't think of her anymore as her sister; the woman in armour cut her way through anything, _anyone_ in her path. The script mage didn't even think she could differentiate between the mercenaries and the legitimate knights and there was a strong possibility that some of the dead and wounded knights they were passing had been her doing. The thought made Levy feel like being violently sick.

They got a lucky break in their pursuit as the woman was delayed by a large group, possibly put in Calus' path deliberately to slow any pursuers, a kind of human roadblock. So far it seemed like they caught a number of stray council men that happened to come across them; their bodies lining the walls of the narrowed corridor. The men framing the arch, picking off anyone advancing; the dead were pincushions, dotted by crossbow bolts. Gajeel could already tell from the smell of blood in this direction that the woman in armour was following Calus. He'd gone this way.

He inhaled deeply, and any sense he'd managed to retain faded out as he slipped out of awareness, lost in a tidal wave of desperate hateful need. He needed to kill him. The voice in his soul demanded it.

The script mage sent a stream of runes across the floor, wrapping around the bronze woman's feet, tripping her and finally halting her advance as she'd taken cover around the corner, pinning her to the floor where she struggled silently. It struck them as odd that she hadn't spoken yet. Not so much as a squeak. It was only now that Levy could see that the scar across her throat was far deeper than the one Calus' duplicate had possessed. The woman glared at her silently from her position. Pinned by magic she had no chance of breaking free of.

Levy heaved a sigh, before a blood curdling scream tore her eyes away, back toward the fight that Gajeel was now taking control of. She watched as Gajeel threw himself at the mercenary group, hacking and slashing with abandon. His face twisted into a sinister expression of joy she'd seen before and had hoped never to see again. Crossbow bolts bounced uselessly off his skin with a frightening twang.

He was a man skilled at what he did and she'd no doubt that he'd a thousand ways to disable, or in fact to kill without pain, but as it stood now he seemed to be determined to inflict as much agony as possible. She wasn't afraid of him. She didn't think she'd ever feel genuine fear for herself ever again with the way her very soul was currently icing itself up, but she feared _for_ him. Calus had done something. Something terrible. Violated something that should have been beyond violation.

And Gajeel was dealing with his pain the only way he seemed able; hurting something else.

But there looked to be a little more to it now. His eyes just that little redder than normal, his clawed hands a little sharper, a little longer. The man she knew had sunk into himself behind this painfully destructive force. Gajeel had completely lost control.

"Gajeel?" She approached him slowly, cautiously. There were no more men for him to face and he stood there, his back to her, breathing heavily. "Gajeel!" She spoke with a little more assertiveness. When she was within arms reach she gently brushed his hand with her fingers and he turned, snarling to her. The air left her lungs with shock as he grabbed her and pinned her against the nearby wall. The force winded her and left her senses reeling. His body pressed against hers, she could feel the tension from it. Feel just how close to snapping he was.

The grip on her upper arms was almost painfully tight. He held her off the ground, at eye level, almost without any effort at all. The physical strength differences between them was as clear as the difference between night and day. She calmed her breathing and stared him straight in the eyes.

" _Put me down, Gajeel,"_ Her tone was calm and serious; a command that broached no argument. If his intention had been to cause her harm he'd have done so and it wouldn't have been in any way difficult. He wasn't trying to hurt her. Or at least, whatever this was, wasn't trying to at least by intention .

She held his wild looking eyes even as he brought his face close to hers, so close his warm breath tussled the hair that had fallen over her cheeks.

"I'm _not_ afraid of you," She said softly and he pulled his head back, expression much calmer than before. "Now put me down," He did as he was asked. Turning away to check the dead, once Levy was free. Satisfied that none of them were still breathing he crouched down to his haunches, patiently waiting for something, she didn't know what. He looked at her with empty eyes. No hatred. No rage. But there was still some sort of base recognition in them.

"Do you know who I am?" She asked him. She unintentionally flinched when he abruptly stood, the movement born from caution more than fear. He cocked his head, now standing over her, bodies so close she could feel the heat from his skin; she shuddered briefly as he ran the back of his clawed hand up her abdomen in an almost tender gesture. He'd need only to angle his hand the other way and the same movement would have scored through her flesh. What she knew of Dragon Slayers was that they were created by fusing a fragment of Dragon soul to their own Human one. It gave them access to Dragon magic and that in turn gave them their enhanced senses and the physical appearance that so many found so deeply unnerving.

Levy was face to face with the probability that despite Calus' monumental failure trying to steal Gajeel's body, he may have succeeded in damaging his soul. Or more importantly, the human part of his soul. Gajeel had retreated and this aspect of him was now floating to the surface. Nothing more than animal instinct.

It was with a little trepidation and deep curiosity that Levy realized she was face to face with the part of Gajeel that frightened him the most. Regardless of how much he bragged about it, she knew that he'd grown to fear the power those same instincts held over him. She knew how dangerous he was going to be if they couldn't draw the real him back out.

The man let her take his hand in hers, and when she pulled him forward he followed quietly. Eyes filled will regard. When she released him and moved, he mimicked her. When she stopped he did the same. Eyes focused only on her.

She'd turned to face the woman on the ground when she felt it; the slow, light caress of a clawed finger tracing her spine. She paused hearing the growl behind her. Low, the very noise reverberating through her. She sucked in a breath and turned, planting her small hand against his stomach and pushing against him. He withdrew from her head low and eyes burning.

She ran through it in her mind. What animal instincts would she be facing. Hunt, kill...and she did a double take her eyes growing wide as saucers. _Mate._ Animals had no concept of verbal consent, either. She hoped that there was enough of him left in there to heed her when she said no.

But so far he seemed accept the refusal and backed down, snarling in displeasure but otherwise accepting that she wasn't currently willing to indulge. Levy let out a groan.

 _"Fuck."_

* * *

There was little of Gajeel in the Dragon aspect that Levy could ascertain. He didn't smile or grin. Didn't roll his eyes, exasperated. He snarled, and growled, snapped his teeth at Erza who was deeply unsettled, though she hid it well. He followed Levy like the only law of his existence was to remain by her side. Which stumped everyone in Fairy Tail, Lily included, as she was the only one he listened to. Natsu had tried to speak to the iron Dragon Slayer and Gajeel attacked him. Shredding the front of Natsu's shirt and killing, stone dead, any humor in the situation. He'd have torn Natsu open if the fire Dragon Slayer had been just a little slower on his feet. As it was, Gajeel pressed the attack until Levy told him to stop.

Laxus referred to him as her own personal attack dog. The others in the guild honestly didn't know what to make of it.

"No real change then, I guess," Cana snickered while Gajeel tore into a pork chop Mira had carefully offered him. Levy recoiled as if Cana had physically struck her, Lily frowned at the insult, but it was Lucy that snapped first. Much to everyone's surprise.

"Exactly what the _fuck_ is that supposed to mean?"

Cana had made some smart comments in her time, but even she knew she'd stepped too far when the celestial mage was the one to bring her to bear on it.

"It was just a joke. Lighten up. I mean, he's not Mr Personality...hell, you might not notice much of a difference, from what we heard from your little romp on the roof, " She didn't get any further when Levy, interrupted, slapping her in the face.

Silence descended on everyone in the room. Levy was always the rational one. The calm one. At least as far as they'd seen. This was so out of character for her that people stood open mouthed in shock. They didn't have much experience dealing with the woman who hiked up a mountains with bullet wounds or stole from people. The woman who lied behind a cheerful smile, even while she broke under the surface. There were shocked faces in the crowd that had now gathered, watching the spectacle, quietly from their tables, pretending they were otherwise occupied.

"You really think that's all he is," She ground out. "All he means to me?" She finished, her voice barely above a whisper. It was no secret that Gajeel wasn't liked by many at the guild. He was tolerated at best by the majority, but little else. The script mage sneered. She'd gotten Lucy injured, put the very guild, the world at risk, and yet, even now, he was hated and she was adored. Where was the fairness in that? Was it just because she _looked_ so innocent?

 _"No,_ of course not," Cana stammered, clearly upset.

"He's spent his entire life being used and treated like a monster. News flash, he isn't. No matter how much you treat him like one, or how much he tells himself he is," Levy gestured to Natsu and Wendy. "The same pieces are in them too. Would you be treating them the same?" She hissed. "He's accepted the way you treat him. But I'll be damned if I do."

"But, Levy, he's different, he's _dangerous!"_ Cana shouted at her.

"No. _I'm_ dangerous," If they were going to treat Gajeel like an outcast then they could do the same to her. At least he wouldn't be alone. "More people have died on account of me, than Gajeel could have killed in his whole lifetime. So ask yourself, who the monster really is," She said calmly.

"He's killed people with his bare hands, it's not the same," Cana reasoned.

"Its funny how you assume I haven't," Levy shot back to murmurs and hushed whispers. She felt the intensity of the eyes on her. Every single guild member in the room was staring at her.

It had been a long time coming, she figured. She'd known that the others treated him differently, just like she'd known it was an issue she was going to need to address sooner or later. This had to be sorted out. He needed her to be strong. If she was going to be there for him, she had to be able to stand up and call this out when she came across it.

She snarled, suddenly inexplicably angry. Lucy stood up beside her, Natsu with her. Natsu likely saw in Gajeel, a possible future he'd managed to avoid by coming to Fairy Tail. He'd never had to lie or cheat or steal. He hadn't ended up in a dark guild that twisted him up. Lily hovered before perching on Levy's shoulder.

Cana looked rightly ashamed.

"I didn't mean anything by it," She whispered. She knew when she'd crossed the line. It had been intended to lighten the mood but she'd opened up a can of worms, no doubt.

Levy had paled significantly, her stomach rolling and heaving. Stressed beyond comparison. She doubled over a little clutching her sides against the painful sensation. Wendy had mentioned that she might suffer a little discomfort from the healed internal injuries for a few months after. Healing magic could only be stretched so far.

 _"Levy?"_ Cana reached out to straighten her but Levy composed herself, slapping her hand aside.

"Maybe more familiar surroundings might help," Lily smiled politely breaking up the situation before it could dissolve any further. "When Bickslow is finished with the bronze woman, let him know where we'll be," The Exceed patted Levy's hair. "Let's go home."

She knew by home he was referring to Gajeel', and an odd thought struck her, that she didn't mind that. She knew his place almost as well as she knew hers. Her home was wherever she'd find him.

* * *

Notes

I'm going to do the individual thank yous and little notes every second chapter from here on in. I think I'm updating too fast. Lol

But to all those who are messaging me, commenting, following, favoriting, reviewing and holy shit, _sharing,_ thank you! As long as you guys are still reading, I'm going to keep writing.

Next chapter should be up before the weekend. ;)


	28. Chapter 27

He stalked around his own home while Levy sat on the couch uncertain as to what she should be doing. He opened doors, smelled laundry. It would have been endearing if it hadn't been so disturbing. He was filthy, still covered in blood, bruised. A hand shaped dark mark that looked like it had been beaten into his chest. _Dented_ into his ribs. A revoltingly painful reminder.

"One of us is going to need to get him cleaned up," Lily made a face as he followed Gajeel around with a cloth and a cleaning spray, wiping up the stains the man tracked around the room. Straightening the things he haphazardly knocked over. He grumbled as Levy turned several unnatural shades of red with the embarrassment.

"I...ehh, wouldn't ...feel right cleaning him down," Truthfully, the idea of touching him when he was like this made her uncomfortable. Not to mention, it might give the wrong impression. He was almost child-like. Inquisitively prodding at his things like a stranger in his own home, not fully aware of what he was doing. He pulled out a case she'd never seen before and the Exceed dropped his cloth, exasperated. "Oh for the love _of...Gajeel!"_ Lily pulled it back out of his hands and slid it back behind the couch, out of sight.

If Gajeel was bothered by the Exceed he didn't show it, simply moving onto the next thing to spark his interest. Lily cast a bemused look Levy's way.

"Don't think just because I'm not in, that I can't tell _exactly_ what you two were getting up to. My nose might even be better than Gajeel's," He mocked her. "Gajeel owes me an unsullied table," Lily laughed, sourly eyeing the table that he was just unable to satisfactorily sanitize.

"I get the feeling if I took his shirt and pants off...he'd probably try and mount me or something, Gajeel would hate himself if he hurt me. I don't even know how much of what I'm saying he's _actually_ understanding," She whispered, looking away to hide the blush. That wasn't an understatement, either.

Lily looked at her understandingly. Offering a small smile. He wasn't going to embarrass her anymore.

"That's a fair point. And I know Gajeel would appreciate your consideration. Although, how much honor he has left to protect is something I think varies on the days of the week, the alignment of the stars and which ever way Droy's hair is pointing."

Levy laughed then. Light and authentic. Leaning against the armrest of the couch she clutched her stomach feeling suddenly ill. The muscles tender and protesting.

"Are you okay?" Lily asked her genuinely concerned.

"My insides must be mostly scar tissue at this stage," She sighed. She'd taken a fist to the upper abdomen that had left her bruised and raw.

"Yes, healing magics always have their limits. I'll see to Gajeel, but you should go lay down. From what I've been told I think it'll be a while before Calus raises his head again. And Freed's runes are still intact. We're safe here," He reassured her.

Levy grabbed Lily out of the air and crushed him to her chest. Tears of relief and gratitude fell down her face.

"Thank you!""

She crawled into Gajeel's bed in one of his t-shirt while curses and crashes echoed from the bathroom. His scent surrounded her, a comforting element that soothed the frazzled nerves driving her mad; twitching at the back of awareness.

Sleep brought her no respite. She was alone in the dark, malicious eyes watching her from the blackness. Unable to find even peace in her own mind. Hands reached for her, curled fingers clawing at her skin and pulling at her hair. Panicked and sweating she bolted upright only to find herself dragged back down to the bed by a set of impossibly strong arms. She was pulled back against a warm familiar chest, breath in her hair. She froze, eyes wide open and unable to move.

"He didn't seem to have any intentions other than sleep. But I figured I'd watch over you anyway." Yellow eyes flashed in the shadows and Levy let out a terse breath at the sound of Lily's voice. Behind her Gajeel grumbled and settled himself against her, placing the palm of his hand to the flat of her stomach, holding her to him. When she relaxed, so did he. His face nuzzled in her hair.

She closed her eyes for a moment, pretending for a second that it was the Gajeel she knew and loved and not the hollow stand in. She could tell. The warmth. The joy. The contentment wasn't there. Her nightmares never plagued her when she slept in his arms. Sleep didn't come as easily to her like this, but she did eventually drift off, the weight of exhaustion just too heavy a burden to carry.

When she woke up next she was lying on her back, pinned to the bed as a snoring, impossibly heavy Gajeel slept, his face and arms draped over her stomach. She tried to sit up, move him off her and he growled. Legitimately growled.

"Not today, asshole..." She grit her teeth and heaved his head off of her, wriggling out with a chuckle.

Lily was still awake in the arm chair grinning at her. Finding some sort of added amusement in the scenario. He must have stayed up all night, his still splinted leg propped up on a cushion, his demeanor told her he was tired though he didn't easily show it.

"I was going to start breakfast, have you any requests?" He asked her. She suddenly desperately miserably, wanted Gajeel's eggs and ham, but she _was_ hungry. In the way only life or death situations made you hungry. She couldn't remember if she'd even eaten anything then day before.

"I'd kill for some steak and eggs...or pancakes. Or waffles!" A dreamy look spread over her face. "All of the above?" She smiled eagerly and Lily nodded.

"I think I can rustle something up," He paused. "Will you be okay?" He gestured to the sleeping Dragon Slayer.

"Yeah, I can handle him," She reassured him.

She got up and showered, lingering in front of the bathroom mirror, staring at herself. Bruised, beaten. The skin on her face was puffy and her abdomen was bloated. The dark purple marks highlighting the white, scarred glyphs. Horrendously visible now under the greasy glare of the bathroom light. She threw on a loose T-shirt with the intention of covering as much skin as possible and took a deep breath. Practicing an easy smile she didn't feel in the mirror. A force of habit at this stage.

Lily had arrived back wielding a plate twice as large as her head. Pancakes, bacon, eggs, toast and fried mushrooms. It was enough to feed a small army.

She emerged to find Gajeel already eating.

"Bickslow is having some coffee in the kitchen whenever you're ready," The Exceed advised and Levy felt a thrill of excitement at the thought of a regular, moody Gajeel back sulking and grumbling. She absently realized why Lily made so much, as the Dragon Slayer stuffed his face, zeroing in on the bacon with predatory focus while Levy practically inhaled the pancakes and eggs.

In the living room, Bickslow was sitting on the couch, arms stretched over the back looking overly comfortable. Gajeel growled at the man, message more than clear.

The seith mage sat forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he examined Gajeel.

"That fuck certainly did a number on you," Bickslow scratched his head, tilting it side to side. He looked to Levy and Lily and sat back. "Souls do heal though, once they've a physical body. Gajeel is just in a little shock, nothing I can't pull him out of...but Lev, this shouldn't of happened. Not if there weren't some problems to start with," He argued.

The room was bathed in green light. Gajeel looked at the Seith mage dubiously as he paced about the room. Green eyes followed him, thinking.

"How does Gajeel feel about being a Dragon Slayer?" Bickslow asked suddenly and Levy felt herself put on the spot.

"He loves being a Dragon Slayer," She shot back and Bickslow narrowed a set of terrifyingly intense eyes at her. They made her squirm. To be honest they were frightening. Sensing her discomfort Gajeel stopped moving, dipping his head in a growl. Bickslow ignored him.

"The truth," He said seriously. Levy swallowed.

"Sometimes...I think it scares him," She answered carefully. It felt like a breach of his trust to be talking so openly about him with the man unaware in their very presence.

"It's fine," He reassured her. "Laxus told me the same once. Something about keeping a lid on a hell of a lot of fucked up urges. He was afraid of losing control and doing something he regretted," The admission made Levy feel a little more at ease.

"Don't think the metal head has terribly healthy coping mechanisms for guilt and all that shit that comes with losing control. Most people would blame themselves, but most people don't have this whole extra part to blame instead. Not a good place to be, already thinking of yourself as having these separate entities in there, responsible for the fucked up shit _you_ allow yourself to do."

Levy couldn't figure out how Bickslow got so insightful. Green eyes passed through her and he smiled, almost reading her mind.

"The soul doesn't lie, little blue, not even a Dragon slayer's," The seith mage whistled.

"So, what you're telling me is that they splitting?"

 _"No. Split,"_ He corrected. "Gonna bring Gajeel out now, then we're gonna need to try and start some sort of reconciliation of the pieces," He looked blankly at her.

"And you can do that?" Lily asked, impressed so far with the mage's magic. He hadn't had much experience with it and witnessing it first hand left him reeling with the possibilities. It was versatile to say the least.

"I can take possession of a soul but I don't know the first thing about putting them together," He shook his head. "If I hadn't met the like of the Dragon Slayers, I wouldn't even thought it was _possible,"_

Levy blinked.

"But Maeve, I mean, the woman who looks like Maeve might?" She fired back. Bickslow always admired her intelligence. He was used to dealing with Freed, but Levy seemed to be in a class of her own sometimes. She was _sharp._

"Exactly to my next point. But, yeah, she might be able to help with this. She's walking round with a patchwork soul," He added. "She clearly practices a kind of soul magic, not seith, but maybe not that far off seith," He managed. There was a look of excitement in her eyes that gave him pause. _"Levy,_ he took her childhood memories. She doesn't know you," He said somberly. "This might look like your sister but this isn't her, not in the ways that matter,."

The script mage couldn't work out if this made it any easier to digest. It certainly didn't feel any different to the previous notion that her sister was dead. For the moment Gajeel was her priority.

Levy wasn't a fool, she realized what Gajeel was really afraid of. It was her. He was afraid of hurting her. Of scaring her. Maybe of losing her. Afraid of any possibly future with her. What had happened in his head when Calus had attacked him had been the final push to drive the two apart. One half of his soul starting to reject the other. Gajeel blaming the darker side of himself for a lot of his current hurts and issues. With the link between them severed, when Gajeel retreated, the Dragon aspect was left floating on the surface. Disconnected from the whole.

Bickslow' eyes glowed a vibrant, luminescent green and then he snapped his fingers. Gajeel seemed to come to, blinking stupidly, completely disoriented. He wobbled on his feet but Lily was there to catch him, straightening him up.

"Welcome back, Gajeel," The Exceed clapped him across the back.

"Why, I go somewhere?" Gajeel asked somewhat stunned, before he started coming to his senses. There was a stupified look on his face as he figured out he was suddenly home in his living room.

"Indeed you did, poor Levy here had to rescue you from a possible guild lynching," The exceed mocked, making Levy frown. She really didn't want to hear jokes about that.

Bickslow sat up straight, looked Gajeel directly in the eye.

"My not so friendly friend, you have a serious fucking problem we need to fix," He deadpanned, as grave as Gajeel had ever seen the man.

* * *

"Is she sane enough to speak to us?" Gajeel hadn't thought she was all there when he'd seen her last. Understandable considering. What she would have faced was bound to leave anyone unsettled. He wasn't going to judge her for a killing spree or two after that. It wasn't like he could be throwing stones in glass houses either. Given his track record and body count.

"Saner than you, metalface," Bickslow laughed and Levy sucked in a breath to stop from kicking the seith mage. "Though, she's got your charm," He cracked a grin at Gajeel's glowering face. "Its fine, though, we've developed a rapport," He smiled wide.

As soon as the entered the room Bickslow got hit in the face with a boot. The woman studying him through the bars that divided the room.

"Back for another round, dickhead?" She paused pulling back cautiously when she caught sight of Levy and Gajeel. "What's this, a fucking psychopaths anonymous meeting?" She snarled.

"Now, sweetpea, you should change your tune, I really don't want to have to get Laxus in here for a little more shock therapy, do I?" He smiled sweetly at her, her glare switching back to the seith mage. Laxus had had to be called to restrain her so Wendy could heal the scarring on her throat that had rendered her mute. Makarov had the sense to put the anti-magic cuffs on her first. Things hadn't gone smoothly and after being kicked squarely in the balls Laxus had lit her up like the town hall.

"Give me the keys to these cuffs and I'll sing any tune you like," She countered with a smile that promised nothing but trouble.

Levy just stood there, stunned. There were looks and mannerisms that were so very Maeve, and yet there were things that were so foreign. The facial expressions were all her but the way she stood, moved, scratched at her head, even her laugh was so very different.

Bickslow didn't reply to that, instead lifting his visor and bathing her in green light. The woman stiffened, her face contorting in an expression of pained focus.

"Still not even getting _half,"_ She grit her teeth in a tight smile. "You got more yesterday. _Late night?"_ She wheezed out facetiously. Mocking him.

"I've got enough that I could mess up your week, sweetheart," He ground out, a smile pulling at his face. He was rarely tested like this. So many different fragments of soul simultaneously proved just too much for him to possess.

Sweat had formed on his brow as she sank to her hands and knees. Her expression one of agony. She cried out suddenly but the soul mage didn't appear to have any intention of stopping.

" _Bickslow_!" Levy snapped and the man relinquished his hold. His face drawn out and tired. He replaced his visor, still not even _close_ to taking over enough to get her to do something, and he'd spent _most_ of the previous day trying.

The woman started laughing.

"So, she's got more than one chain to yank," She spat venomously at Levy. The script mage grit her teeth. It was growing easier to believe this woman wasn't her sister. Although, despite the personality issues the manner in which she was being treated unsettled Levy. The woman caught her stare and grinned.

"Don't worry, just one soul stealer squaring up against another," She sat back, crossed legged, her expression suddenly one of feigning disinterest. "So?"

"We've a sundered soul needs putting back together," Bickslow spoke. Acutely aware that coming to her with a request like this was going to require bargaining. She'd more than likely be looking for her freedom. He was expecting that.

"Then you've an unfortunate fool who's going to die," She said instead with a grin that made Levy's blood boil, although Gajeel was strangely calm. Unnaturally so.

 _"You've_ done it, so it _can_ be done," The script mage snarled.

"I didn't say it couldn't be done," Her tone grew quiet as she interrupted before Levy could say anything else. "I'm not going to do it," She heaved a breath in resolution. "There's a difference."

"Even if it'll earn your freedom?" Bickslow was genuinely curious now. She'd outright _challenged_ him yesterday. Surely she should be itching for a chance to outdo him.

"Even if it'll earn my freedom," She hissed looking at Gajeel. "Wouldn't touch that hot mess with a ten foot spear," She laughed, making a face.

"You can tell?" Levy asked.

She scraped her anti-magic cuffs against the ground.

"I saw it before. The Dragon," She sat back. "Freedom is pointless if I'm not alive to enjoy it. This cage is already better than the well of souls," She spread her arms out daring them to do something, say something."You won't keep me forever. You have nothing I want worth the effort of _that."_

"...please!" Levy whispered. "If there's any of my sister in there, help us," She pleaded.

The woman stood and walked forward leaning her head against the bars staring at Levy. Her eyes held a malice Levy had rarely seen.

"It's funny, I can _remember_ your sister, I don't remember _being_ her, but I remember her screaming when I killed your father," she laughed tapping her chin. "And I _remember_ killing your father... _and_ your mother. I have the same images of the same event from a dozen different angles. A dozen different memories. Feelings. But _not_ hers. You really expect there'd be much left of any child after a decade in darkness?" Levy winced at her words. "You think he was being cruel?" The woman gestured to Bickslow. "He just sees what you're all ignoring,"

Her hand snapped out at a speed that caused Gajeel's heart to skip a beat. Fingers wrapping around Levy's throat pulling her into the bars. Their faces inches apart. "I'm _nothing_ more than an abomination!"

Levy didn't so much as twitch. Not even as Gajeel pried the woman's fingers off of her; throat red from the none too gentle grip.

The bronze woman pulled back smiling.

"Monsters don't do favours, they don't do fair trades," She shook her head. "Your hand is _light_ for what you're asking."

Levy rubbed her neck. This woman was no more a monster than Gajeel had been. Lost, broken and alone. But she wasn't a demon. She'd done what she needed to do to survive, and had come out changed.

"If you can't undo what Calus did, then no one can,"

She stiffened at the name. Visibly stilled. Levy saw her hands shake before she turned away from them, concealing the visible tremor.

She huffed.

"You'd _really_ trust me enough to go poking around his soul?" She was incredulous. "Even after?"

"I ain't exactly got a choice," Gajeel growled. "Besides, you do anything funny and Bickslow will put your franken-soul in a jar and store it under one of the guild toilets for the next few years," He grinned at her.

"I'll put it in Laxus' _bathroom,"_ The seith mage piped up. _"That's_ a fate worse than death," He grinned.

Honestly the idea of being opened up like before made Gajeel's heart race. But he didn't remember anything of his black out and that terrified him more than putting himself at her mercy. She could only kill him. He couldn't be a threat to everyone around him if that was the case, and they'd already established that the Dragon aspect couldn't be controlled like he could. Couldn't be broken down like him. It was worth the risk. As it stood, he could already feel himself lose touch with his magic. The iron in his flesh felt foreign. The skin around the rivets becoming raw and inflamed as his body began rejecting the metal.

She stepped back toward the bars and examined Gajeel closely. He did the same. Her hair was shaved tight on both sides of her scalp, a long plait running down the center and knotted at her neck; a warrior braid if he wasn't mistaken with horse shoe shoe shaped piercing peaking out from either side of septum. He'd seen the look before. Foreign mercenaries and soldiers from Atla. All the men wore the ring, a coming of age sign. The hair was something worn for war.

"So, it was Calus' doing, was it? And he survived fucking around with a Dragon soul?" She sounded genuinely curious. It was altogether uncertain just how much it had cost the man to try, but he was alive the last any of them saw. "If I'm not able to survive the same, I'm _probably_ not strong enough to take him down," She reasoned with a sharp logic that reminded Levy of herself.

She seemed to steal herself.

"Fuck it. Take off the cuffs," She demanded. "You let me out after, if I'm still alive anyway, and I go my own way."

"Is that way in Calus' direction, by any chance?" Levy asked.

"And if it is?"

No one present answered her although the implication was clear; they wouldn't be talking her out of anything. The woman smiled, laughing, "This _is_ a psychopaths anonymous meeting."

"What are you going to do," The seith asked her and she gave him and exasperated look.

"What do you do with two torn pieces of something?" She shrugged as if he should really know this. "I'm going to stitch them back together again so they can heal," She explained.

Bickslow didn't seem entirely happy about the idea of giving her her magic back but he pulled out the keys regardless. Truthfully he didn't know what kind of form her soul magic took. She was no seith mage and the unknown made her potentially dangerous. She looked him in the eye, quirking an eyebrow. "If I make you that nervous, don't listen," She rolled her shoulders loosening herself up. "You can't be effected if you can't hear it."

When she presented her hands through the bars he unlocked and removed the restraints, not making any attempt to cover his ears, though the green of his eyes was more pronounced than normal. He'd clearly other ways to shield himself.

Then she opened her mouth and sang, and Levy felt an unpleasant tug in her chest. The words weren't in a language she was overly familiar with but the script mage was able to pick out words here and there. Sleep. Peace. Calm. Words you'd expect to find in a lullaby. The soft, simple tune seemed to suggest the same. The woman's voice echoed through her in much the same way that Bickslow' eyes did. He'd said her magic wasn't seith magic, but Levy wasn't _entirely_ convinced. It certainly felt the same. The only difference being in how they accessed it. The Fairy Tail soul mage's eyes drove through you, and her voice seemed to draw you out, make you visible. If Levy concentrated she swore she could see Gajeel's. A glow that sort of surrounded him. Moving like water. An endless ebb and flow. He didn't appear to be in any pain like before. If anything he looked like he was sleeping. That frown he wore, almost always, had gone.

Bickslow' face was unreadable under the visor as the pace and intensity of the song increased. Levy's teeth began chattering almost uncontrollably; the air vibrating with magic as the notes became deeper. A sound almost inhuman. Bickslow moved to her side and put a hand on Levy's shoulder, extending her some kind of protection. The pressure lessoning although her jaw ached considerably.

And then the there was silence and Gajeel blinked awake.

"Wasn't that bad," He piped up. There was a grin pulling at his face. He honestly hadn't felt a thing and the voice in his head was gone; the aching bruise in his chest had almost completely disappeared.

He pulled Levy close to him and burrowed his face in her hair inhaling as though it was the first time he'd caught her scent. His smell was better than he remembered it being before. Absently he wondered how long his senses had been fading. A decline so steady, so slight he almost hadn't noticed it. When had he started to lose touch with himself?

A scream interrupted Gajeel's train of thought. And then Bickslow was there, fumbling with the keys to the cell door, ripping it open. Levy watched as the woman's eyes rolled into the back of her head and she fell to her knees. Her body seizing as she toppled to the floor.

The seith dragged her up from the stone and pulled off his visor.

"EVERYONE OUT!"

Gajeel, still holding onto Levy, darted outside, slamming the door as a intense wave of magic hit the wood behind them. Light burned out from under their feet as he held her close. Waiting while the pressure dissipated.

"Woah," Was all Levy could say as the power gradually faded.

Confused as to what just happened and not completely certain it was over, Gajeel pulled the door open a crack to find Bickslow fixing his helmet in place, sitting with his back against the bars. The woman was lying a foot away from him, face down on the stone, unconscious but breathing

"You guys owe me big," The soul mage murmured.

* * *

Notes

I'm really not one to complain or such, but I got a series of messages that kinda kicked my teeth in a little. I honestly didn't know what to say, I mean, clearly they knew enough of the story to have read most if not all of the chapters before telling me it wasn't worth finishing and there were too many like it in the fandom and holy cow does it suck something fierce to have a pm show up in your inbox telling you to give up on something you love so much. It sucked a little of the joy out it and I found this chapter really hard to get out this time round. Even now I'm not entirely happy with it, but I know if I didn't post I'd run the risk of losing momentum completely.

I know I make mistakes but I'm not a professional writer and this is a hobby. I don't force people to read, I don't hold chapters or characters hostage for reviews or favorite or likes, and I know this story might not be everyone's cupán tae. That's okay. Because there are other people who like it. I don't even mind criticisms, believe me, you will never be my worst critic. I see her in the mirror day in, day out. I'm not forcing you to read it and while there's darker stuff in here, I keep within the lines most of the times and give warning the chapter previous. But its my story and it goes its own way. It might not be the way you want it to go, but life isn't like that.

But this is the thank you area, and I'm going to thank the people who enabled me to finish this chapter with all their support and encouragement. Holy shitsticks, I needed it.

Rachel3003-(nominee for greatest human being on ff net) THANK YOU! AND QUESTIONS!

Where'sTheFood - singly responsible for actually doubling my reader base. Not even kidding. Thank you for all the support.

Desna -(everyone needs to read Fate Decides, I'm a crackship convert thanks to them!), some of the best story smut I've ever read and my all-round update idol. You think _I_ update quickly?

EllaEllaAye- Thank you. There's dark stuff in this, but there's no way I'd leave him like that for long. ;)

lrcortiz- I _adore_ ass kicking Levy.

MissGhoulie- That's a lot of chapters! My condolences lol Thank you!:)

CanaryOfBlack- I'm all about the bad guys getting their comeuppance.

ladybeth4- Its not the first time I've heard that, lol

MissOtak1- Happy to oblige!

Mskumiko24- Thank you so much for the review! I try to do things differently.

And finally,

Moonlight - I was feeling pretty down and then I read your review and its possibly the reason this chapter is out today. Thank you, thank you _so much!_

To all the guest reviewers, Thank you for every single word of encouragement!

Moonlight Goddesses, ItsNotZura thank you for the favs!


	29. Chapter 28

There were steep repercussions to tampering with a Dragon soul, and helping Gajeel had come at great expense to both mages involved; Bickslow choosing to put himself at risk and sparing the woman a violent death.

It wasn't something he was altogether familiar with. And he knew of most magics when it concerned the soul. She hadn't studied it from a book, or been taught. It was natural. Fluid. She did it without thinking about it. In fact, it seemed to be a magic of feeling more than anything.

That made it different, less invasive than seith magic, or takeover magic, but no less insidious; threading her power through someone's soul like a hundred thousand tiny hairs. Burrowing through them unseen. Capable of lacing these magic filaments with foreign feeling, or brief impulse or thought. He could scarcely imagine being able to change the emotion associated with a person, or a memory, even an event, and that was just the tip of it.

When Bickslow finished possessing someone they were free, some possible psychological trauma if he deigned to let them remember, but he could possess them only, he couldn't _change_ them.

Her magic was made to linger. To seep in unseen and take up root, for good or bad. But as much as he'd been afraid she would do something to make him regret involving her, she'd done exactly as they'd asked. Expertly weaving the broken pieces of Gajeel's soul back together with pure threads of power. Absent of any emotion or command, save one. Unifying him. Though if he couldn't address his damaging mental state, how long that would last would be another thing. And Bickslow could tell she wouldn't be able for another attempt. She could put the pieces back together, but he was going to need to heal the rift himself.

Gajeel's Dragon Soul had taken a parting swipe at her, ripping free one of the pieces she'd woven into herself. A darker segment that had never fully joined with the rest. She should have died, but Bickslow had caught the fragment and held it back, trapped it in her. Three painstaking hours of acute magical drain hoping that when, _if,_ she woke, she'd have the strength to pull herself together in much the same way she'd accomplished with Gajeel.

When she woke it wasn't with a groan or a scream. It wasn't with a sharp comment. It was with a quiet sob, and tears that seemed wholly out of place on a face that hardened. For the first time Bickslow clearly saw a child's soul buried in there. An Innocent magic that had been twisted by necessity. Corrupted by the tainted pieces she'd used to fill the spaces left after Calus had torn through her. Damaged and broken.

He took her by the wrist but she jerked her hand free as though he burned. He harrumphed. Unsure he appreciated the gesture of mistrust after the hours of effort spent keeping her alive. But he chided himself for it. He wasn't sure it would be reasonable to expect any other reaction.

She wasn't fully aware of where she was. A bed in a quiet and secluded corner of the guild infirmary. Eyes fluttering, she drifted in and out of consciousness. He leaned forward and lightly slapped her cheeks to wake her up.

"Wakey wakey," She groaned and batted his hands away. He turned her face to look at him. "I kept it from passing, but you've one more patch job to to do if you want to go chasing after dark mages," He prodded.

Her eyes focused on him and she started to hum, just to stop a scant second later. He literally saw her drain.

"Can't... feel it," She murmured drowsily.

She was too weak to detect it while his magic held on. The knowledge almost made him want to scream, because it meant this might have all been for nothing. The second he let go that piece of her was gone. He tapped her cheeks again, trying to put a bit more life into her, maybe if she just focused, she'd see it?

"You need to find it, sweetpea, if you don't, you're gonna die," There was only silence. Glazed eyes the colour of moss covered bark looked at him unseeing.

"You-you do it," She spoke, hesitating. The words were difficult to say.

"I don't know the _first thing_ about how you do what you do. I'm a seith mage, not...a soul seamstress," He said and that dragged a much less sinister laugh out of her.

"Seamstress?" She smiled. "You don't need to know how, I'll know," She closed her eyes and stilled. He grunted in frustration and shook her but she didn't wake up this time.

He pondered what she'd meant when she told him 'she'd know' before the obvious struck hard and left him feeling incredibly stupid.

He slipped off his visor and set it on the bed before focusing, allowing his eyes to fall on the pieces again. Hoping this time would be different. His dolls buzzed around the room excitedly while he got to work. He was so incredibly tired but the fragments of her soul, this time, fell in line with him easily enough. Whether that was because she was too weak to resist or she'd done something to allow him, he'd no idea.

He got images of scenes from memories, painful and tortuous enough to make the gods themselves weep. Not just her own, but the soldiers and individuals that had been sucked into the well with her, only to find themselves prey to Calus, who'd survived in the darkness by ripping the good from the souls lost there. Stealing the thoughts and the experiences he thought might be of use to him; their memories of joy, the small lingering threads of happiness in their spirits; he used these to sustain his existence. Because as soon as you forgot what it meant to live, the well would have you, and you would fade to nothing.

But where he'd sought the sweetness of pleasure and contentedness, she'd taken their pain, woven their hurt and their anger and their tragedy into herself. The pieces Calus had no stomach for, she took. A _child_ took. Because life was pain, too, and even she knew that. Joy was a feeling easily forgotten, while suffering changed you on every level.

So she'd changed where Calus had remained as he was.

Bickslow saw enough to pity not just her but the dark pieces of her soul too. He saw what kind of life it took to shape a child into a murderer, and sitting there at the side of the bed,he openly cried. The majority of Garron's forces had come from Atla; were mercenaries sold themselves, their loyalty, so completely that they may as well have been slaves. They were a terrifying people; a society that believed the cure for weakness was pain, disobedience; death. It was one that didn't distinguish adults from children.

The pieces had long since healed but the old threads she'd woven between those fragments of soul remained. When he touched them he felt all the emotions they had been laced with. Solace. Unconditional forgiveness. Empathy. Compassion. She'd reached out to all of those black souls and offered them a comfort they'd never felt. Showed them a glimmering light in the darkness. Some of these men had tortured her, personally; they'd murdered her parents in front of them, but she didn't hate them for it, she'd only felt pity, sadness. She'd seen them for what they were, their beings stripped bare in the well. Bickslow couldn't wrap his head around that. But when he thought about it, had Levy not done precisely the same when it came to Gajeel. Was this some sort of cosmic balancing act? The universe gave them Calus Vigna Sept but also gave them the McGardens. A line of descendants with so much light in their souls they could tame absolute darkness itself.

In the end, though, you can only give so much and she'd willingly let them take until even the brightest parts of herself were tarnished and stained.

Now that her and the missing piece were enveloped by the same power he watched the tiny threads draw it back into the whole. Its violent thrashing against his magic ceased and he watched its colour change from an inky black to a soft grey. Finding some manner of peace. A symbiosis of soul fragments. Although, this piece wasn't quite like the others. Never to ever fully heal. It was the weakest part of her.

With the missing piece locked in place he felt her power spike. The piece that had broken away had been the darkest. The hardest to reconcile. Its addition changed her entire aura. Gone were the tears. Gone was the vulnerability. Beneath the rippling surface the original childlike soul sunk. Buried.

He felt his control begin slipping as her power increased so he let go, feeling himself growing weaker. Much too taxed the last few days to bother showing off on this one.

Sitting back he watched her shift. Rolling onto her side and looking at him. A wicked edge to her expression he hadn't seen when she'd asked for his help. That last piece. Who ever that piece belonged to, it was an evil even she had difficulty with.

"How're you feeling?" He kept his voice even and devoid of emotion. Knowing enough to know that a perceived life debt wasn't going to endear her to anyone.

"I've no idea," She clutched at her head, raking her blunt nails across her scalp. The woman looked like Bickslow felt. "Can I go then?" The question daring him to go back on his word. He shrugged. Master Makarov had already given him the go ahead to let her leave.

"As soon as you're well enough to go, you can go. Mira has your things," He retorted.

She tried suddenly to sit up, casting the blanket off her and wavering but he stood up and forced her back to the bed.

"Like I said, when you're well enough."

* * *

Gajeel didn't even make it out of the guild hall before he had his hands on Levy. Pushing her into the dimly lit storage closet at the back of the empty bar. His kisses were hungry and fevered. His hands pawing at the hem of the T-shirt she was wearing.

He applied a little too much pressure pushing her back toward the cot and Levy hissed in pain, sucking in a breath. It stopped him dead in his tracks. He could tell she wanted to pull away so he moved slow. Inching the shirt up and exposing the bruising on her stomach. He coughed, choking on air at the sight of it. She pulled the shirt back down embarrassed.

"One of Calus' men punched me pretty hard. There's some internal soft tissue stuff Porlyusica says would be best left to heal naturally," Levy explained. "Considering all the injuries so far. It'll be mostly gone in a week," She tried reassuring him with a soft smile before she stretched up on her tip toes and planted a small kiss against his jaw.

Gajeel ran his fingers down her arms thoughtfully. Lost in his own head for a moment. During the time they'd both been together, they'd spent a distinctly proportionate time fighting for their lives and being injured. Gajeel grinned. They were certainly an interesting couple. He wanted something normal with her. Average. What Calus had shown him had been his greatest wish and his biggest fear rolled into one. He _wanted_ a normal life, but he'd never even considered it to be a possibility until her. And then all of a sudden there are these possibilities opening up for him. An opportunity to be like everyone else. To be a somewhat good man. Maybe never great. Maybe only even a little decent. But the chance to be more, be better. To look someone in the eyes and see something other than distrust or fear there. He'd had his sickening fill of that.

Calus had played into the fear he had that that kind of life would never be possible because of what he was. He'd shown him an ideal future and made him fear losing it.

Terrified that the part of him that loved to kill, loved to fight, that niggling part of him that would happily bathe the streets in blood would would eventually hurt her again.

But from what Lily had said, that wild uncontrollable part of him wasn't without its own form of loyalty. He himself had trouble reigning it in, and here there was this tiny woman and she snaps her fingers and the beast rolls over. Like a puppy.

"How bout dinner?" He said suddenly. Levy took a second to catch on. She smiled deviously.

"Are you inviting _out_ for dinner or are you suggesting you're going to gobble me up?" Her eyes burned and Gajeel held back the groan the self restraint he utilized, wanted to pry out of him.

"You ain't exactly big enough for a main course, Shrimp," He grinned wickedly. "But, we'll see...maybe for dessert?"

He heard her heartbeat flutter, her excitement filling his senses. Her smell tinged by arousal and a concoction of other tells. There was a lingering taint of worry. Of anxiety. But it was fading beneath the sweetness of relief and something else he wasn't able to identify.

"I really want pizza," Levy said and Gajeel smirked. She was an interesting woman, he determined.

"I'm offerin' to take you out and you want _pizza?"_ He wanted to laugh at the way her face fell.

"I'm kinda hungry and I'm not exactly dressed for a nice restaurant with their tiny plates of overpriced food," The script mage explained sheepishly, worried he thought she was ashamed of him or something equally preposterous.

Honestly, Gajeel was just wondering where this woman had been all his life.

* * *

He'd never seen a creature as small, eat quite so much. She'd taken him by the hand and dragged him a short walk from the guild to a local pizzeria where the staff seemed to know her by name. Mages and towns folk stopped to cast her odd looks but she ignored him, and unwilling to ruin this, he didn't draw attention to it. She asked for two 'usuals' and the staff came out with a large pizza and two fries...before they came back, with a second large pepperoni pizza.

He looked at her.

"You'd eat all that by yourself?" He asked blankly. The large pizza would have easily fed four men. Maybe Natsu would have been able to finish it, but the fire Dragon Slayer's metabolism burned like a furnace. Gajeel was fairly sure food turned to ash before it even reached his stomach.

"Uh huh!" She said innocently downing her soda and following it up with a mouthful of curly fries.

"I'll believe it when I see it," He said disbelievingly. "You sure you should be even eatin' like that with yer insides all black and blue?"

She smiled at him pulling off a slice and taking a bite.

"Never stopped me before," She reasoned.

Gajeel took a slice of his own and started eating. It was pretty good he had to admit. Thin base, lots of cheese. Good toppings. He made it about half way before he started feeling like he might be reaching his limit.

Levy on the other hand was still going. He'd already started to sweat and she was currently stealing his fries. He couldn't work out where this was all disappearing to.

The waitress passed them refilling their drinks and saw the look on Gajeel's face.

"Don't feel bad, sweety," She looked at Levy and directed Gajeel up to the wall of fame where a much younger looking Levy was sitting in the center of an enormous empty pizza dish. It was so big she easily sat at its center with inches to spare all around. "This one has a reputation," She laughed.

"So, where've yah been hidin' _this_ particular skill?" He mocked humorlessly.

She shrugged, her mouth filled with pizza. With her cheeks puffed out she looked insanely adorable.

Gajeel wasn't a quitter, but he knew defeat when it crossed his path. He might have been faster than her, stronger than her and taller than her. But she just wiped the floor with him.

"Well, I'm beat," Gajeel pushed his tray to the side, two slices left. He looked at her smiling face, pizza sauce had dripped and dried on her chin and she was leaning back, her hands resting on her stomach. Intently watching for signs of a sudden rupture, last piece of crust disappeared into her mouth and she sighed happily. Gajeel grunted, passing her a napkin and pointing to her chin. She flushed with laughter wiping at the stain.

And then her eyes seemed to glaze over, locked on something over his shoulder. Face paling and heart rate skyrocketing. Gajeel didn't turn around. He didn't have to. From the angle he could see the image of Jet and Droy pausing at the doorway before continuing inside.

"If you want me to disappear, I will," He leaned forward, speaking quietly. Automatically assuming that she might not want her team mates to see them together at the minute, but that didn't seem to be the case as she shook her head.

"It's... not that." She swallowed, breath shaky. " I said some stuff at the guild to Cana. Everyone kinda heard. I...haven't spoken to them since," She relented the information to him.

"What kinda stuff?" Gajeel asked. But she didn't respond. Droy and Jet now in hearing range.

"Hey, guys," She gave them a small wave. A casual smile on her face he knew she didn't feel.

"Oh hey, Lev!" Droy wasn't in anyway close to concealing his grimace behind the tight, tired smile he twisted his face into. He clearly hadn't had the practice Levy had at it. "We were just gonna order a pizza to go," He said. Cutting off any possibility that she'd ask them to join her.

Gajeel's eyes fell to Jet who didn't bother pretending to be anything other than distant. His expression cool. Levy noticed. How could she not? But she held the smile without a single falter. Not a twitch to hint otherwise. The tension only seemed to increase and Jet huffed beside his friend. His mood shifting from cold to angry. Gajeel could practically smell if off him. His nose was good but it was rare to pick up something like anger in a smell. Anxiety and fear were easier, they made you sweat. Anger, rage, sadness, they were far trickier to detect. It was only the second time in his life he'd ever caught the scent.

"Actually, you know on second thought, Porlyusica would probably kill me if she knew I was eating pizza, we'll probably see what Mira can rustle up at the guild," Droy seemed to sense Jet's deteriorating mood and made their excuses, practically shoving the speed mage outside before he said something that everyone regretted.

Gajeel was grateful, he was trying to prove he wasn't a total asshole and putting the prick through the side of the restaurant wouldn't necessarily do his reputation any favours. He watched them go and when he looked back to Levy she was wiping a few stray tears from her face.

"We should probably go, too. I think you were right. I think I ate too much. My ass is fat enough," She muttered trying to lighten the mood. Gajeel just stared at her. He wanted to ask her what she'd said to send her fan club running for the hills but he thought better of it. From what he remembered hearing, Lily had been there and would be able to tell him. Levy looked suddenly far too pale.

"Ain't nothing wrong with your ass, Shrimp," He reassured her. Whatever had happened just now had hurt her deeply. He knew put of everyone in the guild, she was closest to them.

They didn't speak leaving the restaurant and she was shaking by the time they'd stepped out into the chill air, trying to desperately hold back the sobs. They only made it as far as the corner of the restaurant when she turned away from the street and threw up in the nearest trash can, fresh tears streaming down her face. She wiped her cheeks, angrily rubbing at her eyes. Trying to drive out the expressions of her friends seared into her mind.

Gajeel waited, leaning against the alley wall while she tried to compose herself.

"It's cause I didn't tell them." Her voice was broken. "I've known them so long and I didn't tell them," She admitted ashamedly.

"They're only alive cause of that. If they'd known they'd have found a way to follow yah. And both of them would be dead. When they realize that, they're gonna feel pretty stupid. Let me tell you," Gajeel brushed the hair put of her face. Lily had told him pretty much the same thing about feeling stupid when the reality bit him. Wise words indeed from a flying cat.

She pondered what he said and it seemed to steady her. No doubt an angry and hurt Jet and Droy were substantially better than a dead Jet and Droy. She was a woman that knew how to live with the consequences of her actions and Gajeel could admit it wasn't just pizza eating she was better at. He'd still a few things to try and come to terms with; Bickslow had told him he couldn't keep blaming the Dragon Slayer part of him on his problems. They were all one and the same. He made his own decisions. He needed to make peace with that. The things that happened when he lost control, happened because he _chose_ to relinquish it.

Levy looked to him beseechingly.

"Is-is there a back way we can take home," She murmured between sobs. "I don't want people to see me like this,"

Gajee smiled and stepped behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Sure thing, Shorty,"

And the pair disappeared into the shadows.

* * *

Notes

I don't think I can adequately express how I feel about the support you guys have shown me. I really don't know what to say.

XD

I think a heartfelt thank you to each and everyone of you! You've no idea how much the messages of support mean to me. I swear, I don't care what anyone says to me, I'm going to finish this story.


	30. Chapter 29

Levy tried but couldn't shake the feeling that they were never going to forgive her for keeping all this a secret. Gajeel was right, her silence more than likely kept them alive, she _knew_ he was right, but it still wracked her with terrible guilt. The looks on their faces had hurt in a way she truthfully wasn't expecting.

She couldn't even blame them if they did choose to hate her for it. Though Gajeel assured her she'd done nothing more than ruffle their delicate feathers. A mental picture of the pair of them jumping round, flapping their arms in displeasure made her smile despite herself; it was certainly an amusing image. He promised her they'd get over it, she just needed to give them a little space, and a little more time.

The Iron Dragon Slayer may not have been the most polite or polished individual, but he wasn't as insensitive or as coarse as he would have liked people to believe. To Levy's relief he left the evening activities up to her, not pushing her to do anything in particular. Just content to spend the time with her. The script mage now had three reasons to avoid the guild and he could tell her self imposed exile bothered her greatly. Gajeel wasn't such an ass that he'd pressure her into facing any of those troubles just yet. Not when she needed time to compose herself.

He didn't even complain too much when she decided she wanted to spend the evening curled up on the couch, his head on her lap, while she brushed his hair. Removing the tangles he hadn't bothered addressing, because really, it hadn't exactly been on his list of priority concerns. Well, his height deficient girlfriend felt differently on the subject. Enough to put her foot down. He held his hands up in surrender on it. Really, the woman owned him, body and Dragon soul, too. If prodding at his head with a brush made her feel better, Gajeel wasn't going to fight her on it.

It was easy to tell that for all his reluctance, he secretly enjoyed the attention. It was intimate and undemanding and her fingers felt pretty good against his scalp; kneading his neck.

By the time she got around to running her oiled hands through his de-tangled locks, the man on her lap was puddle of jelly. So much in fact that he didn't bother even opening his eyes, let alone fleeing when Lily came home to find him crooning like a kitten on the sofa. Gajeel just waved the Exceed away when he snickered at the sight. She twisted the hair up off his neck and tied off the loose bun with a piece of cord when she was finished and cheekily blew across the back of his neck, making him twitch.

"It suits you, Gajeel," Lily absently commented. It was rare he'd ever see the Dragon Slayer with his hair up off his neck. It made him look younger, drastically so; for once Gajeel actually appeared his age.

No one would have believed that the script mage and Gajeel were only separated by a single year. The height difference and general appearance the two mages kept, meant that Levy often looked almost child-like and Gajeel appeared far older than he actually was. They were only twenty-two and twenty-three respectively.

Levy felt like maybe he hid under the wild mane in much the same way that she hid herself under the perpetual smile and almost porcelain manner. Just another added layer to keep a distance from people. Keep them from knowing. With Gajeel, the hair added to the unapproachable aura he gave off. As if the glare, scowl, red eyes piercing through you with possibly murderous intent and piercings didn't do it for folk. But Lily was right. It looked _good._ _He_ looked good.

She doubted it would be something he would keep up long term. It was a lot of maintenance and the dragon slayer wasn't necessarily a high maintenance kind of guy, but maybe he'd see the benefit of getting it out of his face in a fight if he needed to. It couldn't be helpful to have it flying this way and that while he was trying to dodge attacks. She enjoyed doing it for him. Caring for him.

Gajeel simply scoffed at the new image. Rubbing his shoulders and neck. Unused to the sudden air current tickling the smaller hairs at the base of his skull.

"Cana invited the pair of you to the guild, by the way, something about Warren's birthday party, " Lily chuckled. "She'd have said it in person but she wasn't sure if you were still mad at her. It seems like your speech might have actually resonated with a few members of the guild. She hasn't been willing to entertain a single even _slightly_ negative comment about either one of you since, and Lucy's whip has never seen as much use."

Levy's expression was blank. While she didn't regret what she said, or even how she said it, she'd caused one hell of a scene. The ripples of that wouldn't be dying down for quite some time to come. She couldn't deny though, it felt good to have at least some support back at the guild. Her biggest fear was that everyone hated her. Fairy Tail was a good guild, filled with good people, and she had a lot of blood on her hands.

"I'm taking painkillers. I'm not sure I should really be drinking," She blurted out. "And I'd have to go back to my apartment for clothes," She made her lame excuses hoping Lily would drop it but he only gave her a mildly exasperated look.

"And I ain't exactly in the mood to be cutting loose, either," Gajeel remarked, adding in.

Neither of them weren't terribly enthusiastic about the idea of mingling with a guild full of people after recent events. Both for very different reasons. Getting drunk and letting himself go was singly the crappiest idea Gajeel could think of. And Levy? She wasn't certain she could keep her smile intact in the face of so many potential catalysts. Neither of them felt certain they should be around other people at the minute.

"Oh come now! It's a party not a funeral! And there's _always_ plenty of people at the guild who don't drink. You two can't hole yourself up in here forever," Lily chided them. He looked to Levy. "Virgo will be round with some clothes for you," The Exceed glared at Gajeel. "I'm confident that there's a clean shirt _somewhere_ belonging to you," He laughed at Gajeel's unimpressed expression.

Levy looked like she was at least considering it. She looked at Gajeel to check his current mood.

"What do you think?" She asked the Dragon Slayer.

 _"Fine._ But I ain't drinkin', I ain't dancin'. I'm _not_ talkin' to people. If I'm goin', I'm gonna sit in the darkest corner and I reserve the right to _ditch,"_ He deadpanned. Lily fixed him with an unamused look.

"Agreed," And then the Exceed fluttered out.

Gajeel and Levy standing there, open mouthed and staring. The Dragon Slayer let his head fall back and moaned dramatically. Rubbing at his face.

"Well, it looks like we're going to a party," Levy said, trying to force a smile.

* * *

Gajeel snuck them both into the guild using the shadows. It was growing easier to move her around in the darkness; no longer taxing him to the point of fatigue. It wasn't exactly easy, it certainly wasn't natural, but it wasn't as hard as it had once been. Whether that was a sign of him becoming stronger or something about Levy changing, he couldn't tell. She didn't resist it like she had at first. Didn't hold her breath and tense when they faded into black. It wasn't as much of a struggle to bring her in and drag her out.

"Shit. You clean up well!"

Gajeel had thought the corridor behind the main hall had been empty but when they stepped out into the light, Laxus was there, leaning against one of the walls. At Levy's request the ornery Dragon Slayer had put on a shirt and while he loathed to admit it, having his hair up off his shoulders felt pretty good. If anything, he did it just for the satisfaction he'd feel at the looks on peoples faces. And maybe even the hope no one would recognise him and he'd skirt by unnoticed. An epic failure so far, if this was any indication.

"Blame the Shrimp. I wasn't even gonna come," Gajeel admitted.

"To be honest, neither was I. But I guess we both got convinced," Laxus sighed tiredly, picking his mug of ale up off the floor by his feet and knocking back the contents. "Parties aren't really my scene, so I'll see you guys round."

And then he was gone. A tang of electricity prickling the air in his wake making the hairs on their necks stand up.

When they emerged into the hall it was chaos. Natsu and Gray had demolished two benches, bickering over something while Lucy sat with her head in her hands, Mira patting her reassuringly on the back. People were singing on tables. Makarov was already asleep, the red creeping across his cheeks and nose, coupled with the fact that even at twenty feet Gajeel was gagging at the smell of alcohol on his breath, told him the old bastard may have drunk himself into a coma. It wasn't even nine pm.

Levy looked around the room for the group that was always sober. The handful of guild members that would attend for the spirit of the event rather than the spirits _at_ the event.

She spotted a mop of bright red hair and tugged Gajeel in the direction of Erza, feeling the resistance in him at the realization of where she was leading. He respected Erza, but he couldn't say he necessarily liked her beyond that. She was a force to be reckoned with, sure, but beneath the armor he didn't know enough about her to be swung one way or the other. He had a healthy fear of her. She was predictably, _unpredictable._

They found the red head sitting at a table across from the newest soul mage; every square inch of the surface was covered in plates of half eaten cake and Erza was happily describing the contents, texture and qualities of each while the woman across from her sat still and unmoving. Her jaw clenched tight.

"I...thought you were planning to leave?" Levy asked her tentatively. Bickslow was right, there wasn't enough of her in there anymore to really be considered her sister. They looked different. _Were_ different. She consoled herself with the thought that while she hadn't rescued her sister. She had saved _someone._ Though, it was cold comfort when combined with the knowledge of who she'd unleashed.

The woman's eyes flickered pensively between Erza and Levy. Her expression set.

"I _tried!"_ She grumbled unhappily.

Erza turned to look at the pair and while she didn't say anything, she arched an eyebrow at the sight of Gajeel. His hair tied up neatly, his white shirt looked like it had been ironed too. The re-equip mage knew enough to keep quiet on the subject. She could gossip later.

"She's never eaten cake. _Never!"_ Erza smiled in that occasionally deranged way she sometimes did and looked between them "Well, I couldn't let her go without sampling some of my favorites. Besides, it's a party!"

"I see," Was all Levy said, trying desperately not to laugh. Gajeel couldn't find it funny. He wasn't a sugar fan and Erza could be pushy. "We'll leave you to it, then," Levy giggled at the look on the woman's face. Revenge was sweeter than the chocolate ganache Erza was trying to force feed her.

Gajeel huffed and pulled Levy by the hand towards the stairs to the second floor. It was generally the quietest place to be during a guild party, with everyone trying for a position closer to the bar and with easier access to the alcohol.

There were a handful of empty benches scattered up there and Gajeel sighed in relief taking a seat and drawing Levy onto his lap. Her little black satin dress fluttered when she moved, showing a lot of toned thigh much to Gajeel's pleasure. It flowed like liquid over her skin. So tight she looked to have been poured into it.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and she felt him sigh into her hair before resting on her shoulder.

"I ain't said it yet, and it's not cause it isn't true or because I don't feel it or anything. It's just _hard,"_ He rested his chin on her shoulder and let his cheek brush her neck. She knew what he was telling her. Or trying to explain anyway. It was something she understood. She accepted that he might have a problem vocalizing it. This was the man she'd fallen in love with and he wasn't the most verbally expressive when it came to his feelings.

She half turned so that she could face him and gave him a chaste peck on the cheek.

"You don't need to say it if you aren't ready to, you're showing me. That's more important," She whispered. "I know it," She pulled his arms tight around her, overlaying them with her own.

Gajeel grinned deviously.

"You know, I was thinkin' about adding some shelves to the back wall of the living room. If yah want to keep a few books around the place when you're over? I'm hopin' you'll still hang around when all this dies down," He smiled, waiting for the reaction as her eyes widened and she turned and threw her arms around his neck, smushing her face into his shoulder with a giggle. He flinched a little at the contact. There was a sudden surge of panic before he calmed himself. He was familiar with trauma, enough to recognise his own. It was probably going to be a while before he got comfortable around people again.

"I love you too, you giant idiot!" She hissed, holding him tightly. Her smell seemed to break down the tension of the last few minutes and he let his eyes close. She was fast becoming like a drug for him. He doubted he would be able to sleep a full night without her at his side.

Gajeel sighed, smirking and trailing a calloused digit from her knee to her hip. Opening his eyes to watch the skin on her thigh tremble. She leaned back against him and he scraped his teeth over her throat. She giggled at his playful growl. He was aware she was still pretty hurt but he knew of plenty of other ways he could leave her panting. There was a part of him that would always be a little bit of a shameless bastard. But that belonged to her too.

Coming to grips with who he'd been was going to be a slow process, but he wouldn't be the person he was without it. And that was a person she loved.

What he did to her and her team had been the primary catalyst that took Phantom down. Freeing him from a bleak, lonely future, and offering him an alternative to his old path; an increasingly dark road that would have either gotten him killed doing something he shouldn't be, or thrown in prison; a cell next to Cobra. It was reckless and idiotic to truly believe it had all worked out for the best and fate had had a deciding hand in it. But even crappy situations sometimes presented you with opportunities.

He had his suspicions that the Dragon part of him had sunk its teeth into the idea of her already by the time he got around to joining Fairy Tail; refusing to let him shake off the base attraction that had terrified him badly enough to want to drive her off. She was just _magnetic._ Even then.

"So, how long do yah think we should wait before blowin' outta here?" He asked her. Suddenly he was thinking about all the things he could have been doing with her instead of avoiding people at a party where the majority were already so drunk they could barely stand let alone talk.

They were both dressed up. Maybe even dressed too nicely for a guild piss up.

"At the rate people are drinking half the guild'll be unconscious in a half an hour," The script mage laughed before her face fell. The noises downstairs had begun to quieten and as the looked over the banisters their guild mates were slowly laying down and passing out. "What-what's going on?" Levy choked out. Worry etched on her face.

Gajeel's eyes fell on Cana who was unconscious. The woman had the constitution to rival the collective efforts of the combined Fiorian forces. They were only an hour into celebrations and Fairy Tail parties frequently ran passed dawn. Gajeel should have known something wasn't right when he saw Makarov passed out.

"The protections gotta still be up around the guild, right?" Gajeel asked. He couldn't tell, but he knew Levy would. Freed had been careful at the guild hall. The barrier wasn't one that would be easily detected. But he knew Levy could feel them in a way he couldn't.

"They had to take them down when they brought her in. She's not a guild member," Levy of course meant the women that crawled out of the void.

It had been stupid to think that they would get a reprieve. Life just didn't seem to be going that way lately. Sneaking in and attacking an individual was one thing, but that someone would be so brazen as to strike against a guild full of Fairy Tail members was almost too ludicrous to think. Gajeel examined them all. They were alive at least they just looked to be sleeping. To an onlooker this would just look like the morning after. Whoever hit them had been clever. If they hadn't been awake to witness it they might have just assumed everyone got crazy drunk.

But Gajeel recognised how serious this was; if someone had gotten to them all in such manner, it would have been just as easy to kill them. If they could drug them, they could have _poisoned_ them. Gajeel wasn't sure he wanted the answer as to why they hadn't. He'd learned from experience that when enemies invested in keeping you alive, death was probably going to turn out to be the more preferable option.

"The book stolen from the council! That was the same. An entire barrack full of soldiers and no one saw anything. They all woke up a few hours later and it was gone," Levy whispered to him. They'd already established that that hadn't been Calus. That meant that this was the third party they were now dealing with. The one that was presently in possession of the last copy of the book. They could only be here for one reason.

"Gas?" Levy asked, covering her mouth. At this rate they looked to be on their own and with a guild full of helpless comrades and who knew what force about to attack.

 _"No._ The food. The drink." He said as Erza slumped forward over the table she was seated at, unmoving, and frosting now staining her hair. Her unwilling cake consuming compatriot was no where to be seen. He stood up and pulled Levy against him, stepping back to the wall. The shadow grew around him, cloaking them from sight.

"Don't make a sound," He whispered in her ear.

In the still of the darkness he could hear more clearly, feel her breath as her chest rose and fell while she made herself calm. Heard her heart thunder beneath her ribs; a fast fluttering amplified in the shadows. But it wasn't fear racing her heart. It was excitement; it was thrill. She went to hell and back for a sister that she knew could have very well been dead. Fairy Tail was as much her family. Gajeel knew what terrible depths the woman would sink to, to protect them. Whether they were aware or not.

Whatever came in through the doors of the guild was expecting to meet no resistance. If they only knew they might have reconsidered. He grinned maliciously in the darkness. He could admit, a fight sounded like a better use of his time than a party.

* * *

Notes

Oh man do I have some surprises for you guys! Lol I'm not going to say anything more for the moment just in case I ruin things. But I'm going to slowly start bringing pieces together on this.

Next chapter is a gonna be a doozy. I'm going to save the individual thank you's for then. But seriously, THANK YOU for sticking with me.

Update- I've also made a move to tumblr for my doodles, if you're interested in checking them out I'm there under the same name. :)


	31. Chapter 30

The doors to the guild slowly opened and four men sauntered in without resistance, moving like they owned it. Dressed in plain clothes they appeared mostly unarmed but for the crossbows at their backs, solid steel bolts at the holsters round their waists. They wore no insignias and their faces were unremarkable, easily forgettable. The one taking up the rear turned and locked the front doors behind him, sliding the barrier down in place and sealing the sleeping guild members inside.

"Most of them will be out till dawn but I'd wager the strongest will be coming round in an hour or two, tops," The man clearly in charge, pulled out a blade only to tap it impatiently on his shoulder. "Now get searching. She'll be here," The men moved about the room hauling body's over looking for their target. Every woman with blue hair was zeroed in on. "If you spot the Dragon Slayer you're getting close," He shouted out to the room.

Levy was growing sick and tired of being hunted all the time. Like the prey in some sick little game. Garron, Calus and now whoever this was. And she was willing to bet they were either on the magic council or worked closely with them, because these men screamed council, or ex-council. They were no lowlife thugs.

Speaking of which, they both noticed that the woman from the void had vanished like mist, as soon as the guild members started passing out she'd made herself scarce. Levy wasn't sure she should be suspicious just yet but she enjoyed being prudent when it came to assumptions. As it stood, there were a few possibilities. She'd lost consciousness out of sight, realised something was amiss and made herself disappear, or was somehow involved. Levy was confident that it was either the first or the second of those possibilities. The third seemed too unlikely.

Hidden in shadow upstairs they watched one of the men pull Wendy up off the floor by her hair and practically throw her onto one of the tables. At her back, Levy felt Gajeel snarl in a way that promised murderous retribution.

"She looks like the one we're looking for," A shorter stouter man with a balding head and a thick neck turned the younger Dragon Slayers face back and forth. "Small, blue hair, looks like a child?" He looked convinced, shaking his hand free of the hairs that he'd pulled loose tossing her to the table.

 _"Looks_ like a child? Maro? Really? She looks like a child because that _is_ a child. Not just any, either. That's the youngest of the Dragon Slayers. You really want to hope _they_ stay sleeping. Now leave her and keep looking. We don't have a lot of time."

They pulled at a few more bodies, displaying a casual lack of regard for people's wellbeing as they moved along. Juvia had fallen asleep at the bar and while easy to establish she wasn't who they were looking for, she was pushed briskly to the ground regardless, before two of the men headed into the back rooms, intending on searching there.

One of them made for the stairs and Levy held her breath as he advanced onto their level. Scanning the area for them. Relief washing over her when he found nothing.

"She's not here, boss," The last man shrugged appearing back after a few minutes.

"She has to be, the Dragon Slayer came here, and if he's here so is she," He pulled out a small glowing device and as he turned about the room the glow intensified, burning brightest as he landed in their direction.

"Did anyone check upstairs?" He asked exasperated and frustrated.

"I did, boss. There's nothing up there."

He angled the device toward the balcony and the light it emitted burned so bright it looked like it would scorch his hands if not for the gloves he was wearing.

"Well check again," He snarled impatiently. "This says differently," He snapped impatiently.

Gajeel and Levy were in a tight bind. They would need to take them all out simultaneously or risk one of their unconscious guildmates becoming leverage. The device they had seemed to be capable of tracking them as well. Levy had seen its like before with the council. No doubt a more advanced one had tracked her and Gajeel as they fled in the mountains. This one had a short range but they could be pretty accurate once locked onto their targets. With a certain amount of inescapable dread Levy realised that in about a minute they were going to be discovered. They could escape but that would leave their friends at the mercy of whoever these men were and they'd already made it clear that Fairy Tail's safety was not a concern. If Levy and Gajeel left, who knew what would happen to them.

As the man from before climbed the stairs again the glowing orb suddenly sputtered out. Much to the annoyance of the individual holding it. The group's leader shook it violently, cursing when it refused to respond. He hit it against the surface of the nearest table and tossed it aside when it appeared dead.

"I'd offer you folks a drink but I think its been spiked." A voice said sarcastically. All four men turned as one in shock at the source. A braided head swiveled from man to man before falling on their leader. "Pretty impressive, considering."

The man slipped the crossbow off his shoulder and loaded a bolt, aiming it at the woman Levy and Gajeel had been scanning for moments previous. Now having chosen to reappear.

"You're not affiliated with the guild," It wasn't a question. While the others were a little ignorant of the guild members, the man leading them had clearly done his homework.

"The money isn't good enough," She fired back at him.

He was examining her closely. The sleeveless tunic, the nose ring, the hair. The look was distinctive. The man might have even believed she was what she appeared to be if not for the rather glaring problem.

"Mercenaries from Atla are many things, but never women. You look the part sweety, but the only thing they put in a woman's hands out there, is a broom," He ground out, pulling up a crossbow and aiming it directly at her as she sat on the edge of the bar. One foot planted firmly on the wood, her elbow propped on her knee while the other leg dangled. The men hadn't even seen her move but just like magic, she was suddenly there, taunting them with her nonchalance. She shrugged, not apparently bothered by the weapons pointing at her.

Gajeel, though, recognised it for what it was. A fucking _distraction._ With a deep steadying breath he took the opportunity being presented and moved both himself and Levy downstairs, emerging with a sigh of relief on the opposite side of the hall, as far away from their last location as he could manage while staying in the same room. Now crouched down behind some empty barrels that hadn't made it back to the brewery yet.

When the woman didn't reply the smirking man fired. It was altogether possible she could have caught the bolt. Her hand moved fast enough and Gajeel had seen her move it faster, but instead of even trying, or dodging, she merely positioned her hand in front of it. Letting the bolt pierce her palm in a bloody splatter, passing so far through that the tip also broke the skin just above her breast and staining the tunic she wore red. She didn't break eye contact with their leader. Not even to do so much as blink when he shot her. She looked at the bolt as more a curiosity than anything. Unphased by the agony something like that should have caused.

"Good _aim,"_ She grinned mockingly at him, pulling the projectile free; it made a sickening sound as it came loose. She hopped off the counter, and now standing, she leaned back casually against the bar. "I tend to believe what I see, before I trust in whatever I think I might know," The man with the crossbow was examining her cautiously. He'd had dealings with Atlan mercenaries before and despite what he had learned about them, this woman wasn't simply _looking_ the part. Blood ran down her chest and finger tips and frighteningly, she didn't even seem to notice. Pain was a way for life for them.

"What's your name?" He demanded.

"I don't actually have one," She laughed humourlessly.

She was buying them as much time as she could. Levy and Gajeel could both see that. The woman had made it clear she owed them nothing, but even so she was doing this for them. As a courtesy? A favour? Maybe she was bored, it was difficult to say. She may have hailed herself a monster but she wasn't. Levy had found she made a good judge.

One of the men made to look away and the woman moved her leg suddenly, bringing his attention squarely back to her. Fairy Tail owed her more than words could express. She may not be a guild member but no doubt Makarov would extend that invitation after this.

Levy traced a finger along the floor, a rune forming in its wake. Palms down on the wood the rune multiplied and began moving towards the men. It was very visible, though, and no doubt the intruders would see them before they got close enough to activate under their feet. Even with the ongoing distraction it wouldn't be enough to hide it. These types of runes were made more for stationary traps that could then be concealed. They weren't ideal for what she needed and they would be very easy to dodge if they were spotted. She looked pleadingly to Gajeel and he smiled.

There was a silent communication between the two and Gajeel slipped into shadow and moved out. She could still restrain them before they hurt anyone but the distraction needed to be bigger.

Gajeel's shadow moved across the floor between the chairs. Slowly creeping behind them. Stalking them. When he was close enough, he let his body rise from the wood, his form taking shape, iron skin already in place, grinning like a demon. He flexed a clawed hand, his metalic nails tinkled drawing every set of eyes on him.

The men turned, crossbows raised, one or two shots ricocheted off Gajeel before skittering away. There was a flittering of panic across some of the men's faces. After all, this had hinged on everyone being asleep, and not only was one of the Dragon Slayers fully conscious, but it was the one with the worst reputation. Their leader swallowed the moment of terror and pulled out a knife, placing it to Wendy's throat.

"Forgetting about someone?" Gajeel growled. The man barely had a moment to register the woman now directly behind him before she grabbed him by the wrist and drove the already bloody, steel crossbow bolt through the hand holding the knife and into the table. The others tried to move but found themselves rooted to the floor. Glowing runes now blazing under their feet, immobilizing them from so much as speaking.

Gajeel stepped forward and pushed the hair out of Wendy's eyes, her pony tails having come loose from the assault. She was still just a little kid. She may have been as tough as any of the other dragon slayers, but as the youngest she was their responsibility to look out for. His hand lingered on her forehead, his thumb brushing her head comfortingly. He could hear her heart beating and growing faster, it was likely that Natsu was in the same boat. The Dragon Slayers would be waking up very soon. From her seat, Erza was already groaning, beginning to move.

The Dragon Slayer leaned down, baring his teeth at the man still pinned to the table. Gajeel could tell his very proximity terrified their leader and he allowed himself to delight in that. He wasn't going to kill them but he could allow himself this at least. There was no point in denying himself the little joys.

"Coming here was a mistake," He snarled. The man couldn't even look him in the eye.

Behind him the seamstress grabbed a fist full of his hair and pulled his head up, forcing him to meet Gajeel's murderous face.

Levy took that moment to appear. The words lining her skin glowed with the magic she was still using to hold the others in place though they struggled. The shorter, stockier one must have been proficient in script magic because with a shudder he broke free of the magic restraining him and made a run for it. Gajeel smirked, blocking his escape path with an iron rod only for Levy to catch him with a foot to the ribs that sent him sailing over a bench.

"This was _fun!_ Does it happen often?" The bleeding woman asked, smiling.

Gajeel and Levy exchanged looks.

"This? Not so much. But other stuff, _sure."_ Gajeel deadpanned.

"We need to get you some bandage," Levy spoke up concerned.

The woman looked at her hand and hummed something under her breath and the hole closed up, the wound on her chest healing in moments. Levy recognised the tune, the lullaby her mother would sing them. The last time she'd heard it had been back in the cave where they'd been separated as children. She paused looking at the woman. There was something left of her sister in there after all. He hadn't taken all of her childhood from her. Maybe not a lot of her. But something remained.

"Who sent you here?" Levy asked the one obviously in charge. He was tugging at the steel bolt but it refused to move.

These men weren't powerful magic users. They weren't assassins. Their methods were subverted and non confrontational. They were thieves at best and they'd been there to steal her away under the noses of everyone at the guild. Just like the last book in the councils possession. The members of Fairy Tail would have woken in the morning believing they'd drunk too much. Levy long gone.

He glared at the script mage. Uncooperative and suddenly silent.

A blast of heated air billowed past them as Natsu came to with a strangled roar. His body burning through the magic first. He looked disorientated before he took in the state of everyone. The smell of anxiety and rage in the room. He was experienced enough to recognise the effects of potions. Gajeel turned to watch him scramble over a passed out Cana to a still unconscious Lucy. One hand on her abdomen and the other on her cheek before he sighed. Relief evident.

Gajeel could tell she was alive from feet away. Natsu with the dramatics. The fire Dragon Slayer looked up, eyes burning with barely controlled rage.

The seamstress pulled on the man's hair again. Leaning forward to whisper in his ear.

"You're _very_ lucky. Sleeping potions and pregnancies, very _rarely_ mix well," She hissed and Levy almost fell over in shock.

Gajeel let out an audible "you're fucking kidding me?"

The script mage raced over to Lucy's side, falling to her knees opposite Natsu, and tracing a rune of purification on the back of her hand. Within moments the Celestial mage began to stir as the traces of potion were cleaned from her body. Natsu gave Levy a sobering look.

 _"Thank you,"_ The words came out of him like gravel. Coarse and biting. His anger wasn't directed at her though. He was genuinely grateful.

Levy pulled her friends head into her lap while Natsu stood. The entire room seemed to burn a few dozen degrees hotter in moments. The wood under his feet literally blackened.

"He may kill you _regardless,"_ The seamstresses lips were so close they brushed the injured man's ear and he shuddered. She'd known. Even before she had eyes or ears to see or hear, she'd known Lucy was pregnant. Levy hadn't know why she'd chosen to save her before; why she prevented her from falling into the darkness. But she did now.

Gajeel turned and grabbed the two remaining, frightened intruders by the throat and dragged them across the guild floor before pushing them against the nearest pillar and lifting them up one at a time. Iron bands grew across their chests, binding their arms to their sides before spikes affixed them to the stone.

The pair of them dangling a foot from the ground. Unable to do anything other than watch as their comrade squirmed in agony and pure terror watching Natsu sluggishly make his way down the hall to him.

Gajeel walked back and picked a still sleeping Wendy up off the table as Natsu approached. He carefully set her down on the bar, out of the way. She groaned but didn't stir. Her scalp red and a little bloody.

He watched Natsu's face as it cycled through a wide range of emotions Gajeel had never seen before. His impending fatherhood didn't seem like that much of a surprise so that was clearly old news to the secretive couple.

There was a spark of recognition between them. Gajeel knew that look better than he should.

"Don't kill 'em," The Dragon Slayer reached out with an iron hand and gripped Natsu by the shoulder. "You ain't me," He hissed. Natsu ripped himself free of the grip with a snarl.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to," The fire eater sounded downright sinister. With a flaming hand he gripped the steel bolt pinning the man to the table, the metal turning red hot in seconds. When the man started to scream it came out as a terrible, gut wrenching sound. It took only a few moments of smoke before the bolt began to liquefy, sticking the hideously burned ruins of his hand to the table.

The man's eyes rolled back into his head as he convulsed, Gajeel pulling Natsu by the arm away from him in case he decided to make the other limb match. Gajeel knew from experience in Phantom just how very easy it was to die from shock, and the Dragon Slayer could already hear the maimed man's heartbeat race irregularly. Smell the adrenaline in his blood as his body began failing

"What'd I say about killing him?" Gajeel whined.

Natsu didn't look repentant though he'd certainly lost the manic light in his eyes.

The woman at his back began humming and the man's tremors ceased. In contrast to her inclination for violence, her magic was the opposite. They hadn't actually seen her use it for anything other than basic healing. In the same way her voice could draw out souls, mend them, she could also calm them, even heal the physical body if she was willing to put enough effort into it.

Gajeel had felt the type of power she could command, but she chose not to use it offensively. The Iron Dragon Slayer, if he was a betting man, would have put money on her not knowing how. The skills she'd taken from the remnants of the soldiers in the void were with swords and knives. With terror and pain. The skill with which she wielded her magic was no greater than that of her younger self. A child using music and song to mend the world around her.

The man's breathing evened out and he slipped out of consciousness. She heaved a tired sigh as the cooling metal hardened both within the wound and around the hand. The limb frozen in place by smoldering steel. No healer, magical or otherwise would be giving him the use of that hand back. More than likely, it would need to be amputated.

There was something truly unsettling about knowing that Natsu was responsible. He wasn't that type of person. He'd pummel you into dust but there was a willful cruelty in this. Gajeel had been an idiot in thinking he was the only Dragon Slayer battling with the beast inside. This wasn't a punishment. This was a warning. To anyone else that decided that Lucy or their unborn child was a potential target. But the guy was going to be a father. Gajeel felt like laughing. No wonder he was so anxious lately.

He knew if their positions had been reversed these men would have all met violent, bloody ends. He tried to imagine what a pregnant Levy would be like and halted the thoughts before they got very far. It had never really come up, whether Levy ever saw them having any children. It was far too early to even be discussing it. And she could very easily want something different for herself. He was happy with whatever she wanted. Maybe he might secretly long for more but he could be content with what he had. Very few bastards ever got swept off their feet by good women. These guys were lucky it was Natsu and not him, usually he wouldn't have even needed much of an excuse.

"Now is someone going to start talking or is flame brain and me gonna have to show you why Dragon Slayer's have their shifty reputations?"

There was a patter of liquid on wood and an acrid stench as one of the men stuck to the pillar wet himself.

Levy fixed Gajeel with an unimpressed glare.

"What?" He shrugged in reply.

* * *

Notes

Thank youuuuuu! You've no idea how much all the reviews and messages mean to me. You've even inspired me to doodle again, the lame evidence by the way is up on tumblr. Its been years lol

Again! I can not thank you all enough! So many reviews and you guys actually made me cry. I'm gonna keep writing and drawing. Hope you enjoyed the chapter.

skmmcm, Rachel3003, Desna, Where'sTheFood, lilphoenixfeather, EllaEllaAye, vixenexiv, Mskumiko24, spk9293, piranha pk, michellephoenix275, CanaryOfBlack

Satanovna and darkhunter1982 for the favs!


	32. Chapter 31

It wasn't the right atmosphere for congratulations. The knowledge that Natsu and Lucy were expecting came as a minor shock in the face of present events. There were hugs and a few claps on the back but people were still left reeling. Makarov had never looked so furious in all the time Gajeel had known him.

It wasn't clear what he was intending to do about the men they'd caught, but handing them straight over to the council didn't seem to be high on the list. Not until they'd gotten the information they'd needed out of them. The groups leader had to have the hand amputated after all and Natsu and Gajeel had been told to steer clear. Gajeel took a little offense to that, considering he hadn't actually done anything but he understood Makarov's caution. He understood why they now had to be kept away. Natsu had taken a step too far in maiming the man but it could be explained. Heat of the moment, an assault on the guild. But anything that happened to them now would come with consequences.

It was the general consensus that someone working with the council had had a hand in it. If it was the council directly, by majority vote, and they wanted or needed something, rune knights would have turned up in official garb and taken Levy into custody. They also wouldn't have needed to steal the book already in their possession. So, a rogue element in council employ sounded likely. With enough influence and knowledge that they could orchestrate and execute plans with a certain measure of impunity.

Not good for them when the body policing them was the corrupt one; it was a careful game the guild was now going to be playing, dancing between this council member and the still lingering threat of Calus Sept. The mage with the power to force you to do anything he wanted. The man that could change bodies at will.

But the pieces were all on the board now. All the players had revealed their opening hands and Fairy Tail was still the strongest player in the game by far. Gajeel would need Levy's input on it, perhaps Lily's too, but the only thing he couldn't quite figure out were the individual motivations. They all had reasons. The people working against them must have had those too. It was a lot of effort to go to without a strong cause.

He waited outside the room offering some manner of privacy while Levy hugged and cried with Lucy. Natsu was out in the hall fending off the questions of honor and marriage Erza was throwing his way, and had only agreed to leave his partner's sight knowing that Gajeel wouldn't be far away if they needed anything. They fought a lot but there was an element of trust forming between the Dragon Slayers. He'd fought side by side with Natsu and Wendy. They understood each other in a way most would find difficult to grasp.

Levy emerged, smiling and red faced from tears a few minutes later. Swapping places with Natsu who stepped into the room closing the door behind him. No doubt the pair had a lot of serious topics to discuss now that they were public.

The script mage took Gajeel's hand and pulled him away down the corridor only to turn to him and push him against the wall beside the door to the basement. She stretched up on her toes and with a slender hand around his neck she pulled him down to her lips. Crushing his mouth to hers. She was almost wild with need and in a moment Gajeel had been taken from calm and mildly confused to a panting mess with an erection so hard it was downright painful.

His hands found their way to her waist and she hissed. He hesitated and tried to pull back but she took his bottom lip between her teeth with a giggle. Gajeel smiled, lifting her up so she could wrap herself around his hips. He leaned back against the wall supporting her weight while her tongue danced with his, drawing small gutteral sounds out of his chest. She was rarely this forward, but when she was, he couldn't deny that it excited him.

The dress she wore was short enough not to hinder her as she ground herself against him. She reached up and pulled on the cord keeping up his hair and it cascaded down around them both her hands tangling in it instantly. She tugged at the loose strands and he growled against her lips.

He would have laughed and asked her to slow down, told them they had their whole lives for it, but he couldn't believe it right now. Life didn't seem interested in making things easy for them, so they would take the comforts and joys wherever they could.

She fumbled with his pants, a hand between them, as she guided him loose. He pulled her underwear to the side , breaking some of the elastic threads in the process of making room and she slowly slipped him inside her with a tortured groan. He twisted them both and pressed her to the wall as he pulled back slightly only to snap his hips forward. Smothering her scream with a blazing kiss that made her shudder all the way down to her bones.

He drank in the sight of her, disheveled and now panting, sweating, clawing at him to bring them closer, feel more of him. She came unexpectedly, his name on her lips as she trembled gasping. Gajeel felt something reconnect inside him. A single want shared through every single avenue of his being. Human, Dragon. He wanted her, always. He found release to the sound of her joyous laughter. Lost in a kind of euphoria that couldn't be described.

It was a very brief escapade, possibly their shortest triste yet, but it brought them closer. Each time seemed to strengthen their need for each other. He nipped playfully at her ear lobe.

"You won't hear me complaining, Shrimp, but I think we scared off a few people," He couldn't help but laugh at the blush on her face as she wrestled with the embarrassment. Groaning and burying her head in his shoulder as he caught his breath still wrapped in her.

"I'm not usually like this," She giggled miserably. "I don't know what's wrong with me. I-I just...I needed..." She sputtered. Unable to find the right words to explain and suddenly realizing she didn't need to. He understood. After everything they'd been through, he understood.

He lowered her to the ground and fixed himself before pulling her against him trying to slow his heart beat down to something more manageable. He could smell her sweat, see the dark stains marking her satin dress. They'd both need a shower and a change of clothes but at the very least there was no lingering traces of anxiety.

"Don't worry about it," He shushed her.

She sighed, pausing. A thoughtful expression crossing her face at whatever had just come to mind. She glanced up at him, uncertainty in her eyes.

"Did you know Lucy was pregnant?" She asked him and Gajeel huffed. "I mean, were you able to tell? Could you, you know, _smell_ anything? Did she _smell_ pregnant?" The words sounded ridiculous as she said them and choked on her laughter.

"I wouldn't even _know_ what pregnant smelled like, shrimp," Gajeel admitted with a smile. "I suppose I might have heard a second heartbeat if I was close enough. But pretty close, y'know?" He smirked deviously at her, hoping she caught his meaning and she threw him a look of mock horror.

"Ughhh...not funny!" She pouted, a smile pulling at her lips. Her expression became unreadable and she took a slow breath. "Do-do you ever think about children?" She asked and Gajeel felt his heart skip a beat in pure panic.

The look on her face sent ripples of blind fear racing through him. Terrified suddenly by the notion of actually having children. He wanted a family with her but it wasn't the right time. He wasn't ready. What kind of life would they be offering a child. What kind of parent could he possibly make?

"No," He lied and felt his stomach roll in shame at the word on his tongue. She deserved the truth. She deserved to hear him say he loved her. She deserved to know that the thing Calus had used to break him had been a single thought; that a Dragon Slayer would never know peace long enough to enjoy a normal life. To find happiness. To have children. That they could only destroy, and eventually destroy those around them.

He was a violent creature, brimming with all the things you protected children _from,_ not exposed them to.

A small bare foot kicked him hard in the shin and he sputtered at the sharp jolt of pain. Levy wasn't weak. Her body strengths just happened to be closer to the ground than most. Her legs were downright dangerous. He was very grateful she'd slipped off her heels earlier in the night.

"You're a _liar,_ Gajeel Redfox," She said resolutely and with passion. Staring at him, daring at him to tell her she was wrong. "I thought we were passed that?"

"I'm a lot of things, shrimp. _None_ of 'em really good traits to be any brats' father," He snarled, stepping away from her.

The mood had taken a sudden downward turn. They didn't argue and fight all the time. They were that kind of couple. They fell in sync on most things, most of the time. But she knew him well enough to know when he wasn't being truthful, just like he knew her well enough to know she was being serious about this.

She wanted children. Wanted them with him. The very notion made his very soul sing. And that frightened him down to his very core.

"No one's perfect!" Her words came out in a frustrated shout. It was beginning to bother her, how much of their future seemed to be deliberately hinged on how much they felt they deserved it. If you needed to be worthy to attain any kind of happiness, she'd a feeling it would be a very miserable world.

She gripped him by the wrist as he turned to walk away and yanked back hard.

"You're so _aggravating_ sometimes," Her voice shook, exasperated.

He pulled free, angrily.

"What is this? Your friend gets knocked up and all of a sudden you're grilling me on wanting kids? I don't know how to break it to you, but those two morons getting themselves saddled with an infant isn't a _good thing._ In case you haven't noticed, the situation we're in isn't gonna get magically better with a baby," He growled. "So slip your panties back on and grab your shoes, Makarov wants us on the road by dawn, we've a council rat to flush out."

It was so easy to slip back he decided. The mold of the old Gajeel was just always there, ready and waiting to step into. He saw the look of hurt on her face. He'd been deliberately cruel. Purposefully crude. As though trying to convince her he was right and she was wrong. But as much as playing the part of heartless bastard might have fit him like a glove, it left him feeling uncomfortable. This was deflection. Nothing more.

Deflection and pure _jealousy._ First Dragon Slayer's child born in Fairy Tail and it was the couple no one even knew existed.

From the look on Levy's face, Gajeel was feeling certain he'd just trampled on any future with her.

"I'm going home to pack some things," She whispered.

When she left the guild she headed in the direction of Fairy Hills.

* * *

He wasn't sure how long he spent beating chunks from the boulder he'd claimed in place of a living opponent. In the pitch black of the night time woods, desperately trying to burn away the rage. Clawing at the stone with iron nails until his magic was gone and then punching at it till his hands were bloody and he was dizzy with exhaustion. He didn't bother going home, instead he'd walked out into the darkness, tied up his hair and started a self punishing regiment of exercise.

The sun hadn't quite risen yet when he fell to his knees, face in the dirt trying to work out how he'd managed to find any kind of love at all, being as broken as he was. Who did that? Who would say that? How could he tell himself he loved her and treat her like that? His own thoughts tormented him.

He'd been offered everything he wanted, his secret longings there and waiting and he'd cowed under the weight of it. The realization that he could be happy if he chose to be. The only thing stopping him was his own insecurities. His own overpowering, crippling weakness.

He would have just enough time to make it home, shower and pack a bag if he left now, and yet his legs wouldn't actually move. His own rage having torn a hole in his energy reserves.

"You should apologise, Gajeel," Lily's voice cut through the darkness and hit the Dragon Slayer like a cold wet slap in the face. Jarring him from his inner turmoil.

"Don't you think I fucking know that, cat!" He snarled, lifting his face from the dirt and snapping his jaw closed immediately at the sight of Lily standing there, full sized and holding his sword. His expression deathly serious.

 _"Fantastic._ So explain to me why you're here, cowering in the dirt and not with her, giving her this much owed apology?" He spat.

Gajeel clenched his jaw, silent. He had absolutely no response to that. None.

Lily didn't take kindly to his lack of communication and the Exceed's sword struck the ground a foot from his still kneeling body, showering him in muck and sheered grass. The Dragon Slayer spat some debris onto the ground. He looked at his friend unblinkingly.

"So what? You've come to kick my ass cause she can't?" Gajeel sneered.

"Not can't, _won't,"_ He wasn't joking about it either. It was clear he found no amusement in the situation. "For some reason, the woman still loves you and I'm beginning to think she's a fool for doing so. You've left her with more scars than anyone. Leave Fairy Tail, leave the country, but don't you dare go back to that woman unless you can tell her you love her. Until you can be honest with her," He pointed the blade of his weapon in Gajeel's face and snarled "I didn't come here to fight you, but I will if I have to. Someone _needs_ to..."

Gajeel rose to his feet with a growl and slapped the edge of the sword away.

Lily took the sideways momentum of the blade and twisted, swinging it around in a quick arc that would have cleaved Gajeel in two if he hadn't thrown himself backward and away from it. Wide eyed he looked at his friend. Suddenly well aware of how serious this conversation was.

The Dragon Slayer scrambled to his feet. His magic was still too low to summon more than patches of iron scale to protect himself with and his entire defense was now solely fueled by adrenaline. He spread his arms wide.

"What do you expect me to _do?"_ He shouted brokenly.

"I expect you to stop feeling sorry for yourself," Gajeel dodged the downward stroke of the blade as it hit, inches from his boots, throwing up more grass and dirt. He moved back when it freed itself and swung for him once more. "I expect you to stop hating yourself and I expect you to start being the man she seems to think you are."

Gajeel threw himself back only to end up back pressed against the rock face and Lily's sword at his throat.

"She doesn't know what kinda man I am," Gajeel whispered.

"You don't know _yourself,"_ Lily said panting. Pulling back the sword and planting the tip in the ground so he could use it as a crutch. His still healing leg no longer able to support his full weight.

"If you think you're such a bastard for your crimes, then what can you think of me? Because if you've murdered dozens, I've murdered thousands. If you think you'd be a failure as a father, at the very least you'd stand by any child you had. You wouldn't _abandon_ them as I have. Deny them the chance to even know you," He spat.

Gajeel sank to the ground. Whatever energy he'd had, failing. Lily leaned against his sword, Gajeel saw tears in his eyes.

"You've a kid?" He asked, still in shock.

"Yes, though she takes after her mother, thankfully," He rasped pitifully. "I'm not the role model she should be aspiring to."

Gajeel was many things, but not stupid. Not unobservant. It made his crimes so much more intolerable as he was consciously aware of them. Knew the errors he was making, usually in realtime.

"Carla?" He voiced, dumbfounded.

"See, you _aren't_ as stupid as you appear," He fired back with a tired smile. The Exceed was always nearby, always hovering.

"And here I thought you joined the guild because of me?" Gajeel grinned. The tension having lifted between them. Both incapable of fighting any further.

"That was _presumptuous_ of you," Lily harrumphed, eyebrows rising.

Gajeel wholeheartedly believed Lily was a good individual. He was smart, considerate, funny. He did what was right. The Dragon Slayer couldn't think of him as anything other than his friend. Levy probably felt the same way about him.

Gajeel stood and brushed himself off. He was feeling the pain now; his fists throbbing, swelling. Dried blood flaking off his torn knuckles. His legs were jelly.

Lily allowed himself to shrink back to his smaller size.

"And where are you heading off to?" He asked the Dragon Slayer.

"Well, I guess I gotten a go have a shower, grab some clean clothes, tell a Shrimp I love them and then go on the run again,"

Lily smirked at him, heaving a tired, shaky sigh.

"Then don't forget breakfast."


	33. Chapter 32

She was unusually, unnervingly quiet the entire trip out of town. She wouldn't speak to him, didn't look at him. When he'd seen her at the train station and opened his mouth, committed to telling her all the things he couldn't before, no sooner had he sounded out the first syllable of the first word when she'd interrupted. Grabbing him by the wrist and slapping the ticket into his open palm before turning away toward the platform. Her expression hard. As hard as it had been in the ruins of that mountain church.

Then the short train ride began and Gajeel was too consumed with keeping the contents of his stomach inside his body to be aware of just how angry Levy was still. Glaring at him from the opposite side of the compartment. Huffing under her breath occasionally in displeasure.

When they arrived in Brink, the small port town on the far side of Hargeon harbour, and Gajeel had recovered himself somewhat, colour returning to his pale, sweaty, nauseated face, he began to recognise the depth of her current unhappiness. He'd pissed her off and hurt her plenty of times in the past, but right now was different. She was cold and withdrawn; a wall having been thrown up around herself. He'd have preferred she scream and yell, he could deal with that. That was the type of anger he knew, could recognise and rebut. But her distance was unsettling. Physical and emotionally she was placing herself out of his reach. He hadn't truly realised how much he'd come to rely on her very presence to get through the day. Until it was gone. Until the woman walking beside him felt like a stranger.

"I'm sorry. You didn't deserve that, neither did they. I was a fucking _asshole,"_ He spoke as they walked. Apologizing despite the silence between them. In spite of the fact she refused to even look at him while he was speaking.

She just kept walking. As though he didn't exist.

The town was a desolate husk of a place. The fishing port having long since lost out to the much larger, more prosperous Hargeon across the bay. The streets were almost empty. The shops closed up. Makarov had chosen this place specifically because it was only a short trip from the guild, mostly deserted, and strangers here would be very easily spotted. The 'official' job was a lie. A reason for Gajeel and Levy to leave Magnolia without drawing suspicions. A way to lure out any other parties that may have been looking for them. Having already left on foot the night before, the seamstress would be arriving around now. Where she'd wait in the hills overlooking the town and feed information back to the guild.

Very few knew of her existence so as far as any guild census would reveal, all members would be accounted for. Makarov had specifically withheld all mention of her from his report to the council on the attack at their fortress. At the time it had seemed to be the easier option. Their secrecy was now coming in useful. The Dragon Slayer often wondered just how close to his chest the old geezer kept those cards, because it would seem he'd suspicions about the council from day one.

Their mysterious comrade's motivations were still a puzzle to Gajeel. She'd volunteered, and he guessed it had more to do with her own uncertainties than any feelings of compassion or empathy with them. She'd been born into a different world, the memories she carried were outdated, and while he'd absolutely no doubt she had her own goals, she was just sifting through all the new information for the minute till she decided what to do to achieve them. Till then, he was comfortable enough with the idea of her out there. She was resourceful, lethal and utterly merciless. But he was _better._

If she did turn on them he could take her down, and she didn't necessarily have the relevant contacts to do that yet. He would watch her like a hawk. But to a certain extent, she'd earned some measure of trust. Levy had been right, she wasn't evil. Just a little messed up, and weren't they _all?_

The innkeeper was an old friend of Makarov, and the fake job was a listed as a translation. Difficult to disprove, could extend the length of the mission indefinitely, wouldn't require them leaving the inn. She was without competition in all of Fiore when it came to dead languages. She could pull out a manuscript from her bag, cover it in chicken scratch and proclaim it an ancient souffle recipe and no one would be able to disprove were written languages lost to history that Levy was fluent in.

The Dragon Slayer grabbed her hand and stopped, bringing her march down the empty street to a halt. They were the bait and also the trap. It was dangerous business and it required them to work together. If they were fighting like this they were going to get themselves killed.

"Would you just _look_ at me for a moment?" She sighed and fixed him with a miserable glare. "I was terrified, okay. I _do_ think about it. But... I'm not _ready_ to have children," He blurted out in the street. The words falling out of his mouth so quickly he barely even knew what he was saying. "It scares the fucking _shit_ out of me," He hissed. "I barely qualify as _human."_

Levy looked momentarily very guilty. Not exactly the reaction he'd wanted. He hadn't intended to make her to feel any worse. That wasn't the goal. He pulled her closer to him and wrapped his arms around her, she didn't resist or pull away, instead the script mage relaxed against him. Breathing him in. Slim arms slid under his coat and across his back. She hiccupped, trying to contain the sobs that wanted to spill out.

"I didn't mean to freak you out, Gajeel," She sputtered.

"Did that to myself, Shrimp. Didn't take much..." He scoffed.

The inn wasn't far. Gajeel decided it would probably be best to get to their room first before he accidentally initiated some sort of mental breakdown in the street.

Who knew, it might even be his own. He was tired and feeling on edge already.

Makarov had interesting friends. The innkeeper was a former council member and wizard saint with a speciality in weather manipulation magic. In fact, it was the same mage that Makarov had referred Juvia to when she'd first joined the guild. In the hopes he would help her separate her magic from the emotions causing her spontaneous rain storms when she was feeling down. From what Juvia had told him, the old man had been named a saint after leveling a valley of enemy soldiers by way of _hurricane._ It _wasn't_ an honorary title. How much help he'd be willing to give, or capable of providing if things got rough was a guessing game, but it was very unlikely there'd be a repeat of the events from the last time they got holed up in a secluded town.

Murd Mada was a small, thin looking individual with dark skin and a set of eyes that instantly made Gajeel feel like his insides had been turned out and were presently being scrutinized. A former soldier, he carried himself in much the same way as Lily. Pressed, starched shirt and stiff back and shoulders. He let his gaze brazenly wander between Gajeel and Levy, eyebrow raised in curious deliberation. The Dragon Slayer wasn't quite sure how much the old master had told his friend, but he wagered the word 'couple' had been thrown in there somewhere. He could admit they made an odd looking pair.

When he'd decided he'd had his fill of staring at them, the man led them inside and pointed to the stairs behind the bar.

"Makarov already told me you were coming. There's a room up the stairs for you, last on the right. Dinner is at seven," His voice was softer than his expression would have hinted. He moved slowly with a limp and a stiff back. Injuries or old age, Gajeel couldn't tell. The Dragon Slayer was looking forward to some rest. He healed fast but not fast enough, the wounds on his hands were still scabbed and weeping. Breakfast hadn't stayed down long enough to help him recover much of his strength. He wouldn't be much use until he could recover himself a little.

The room was nice enough. A large double bed at its center. A decent sized bathroom. It was comfortable. Levy immediately began setting rune traps around the room. Hiding glyphs along the walls and floor by the bed. Gajeel sat over the edge with his hands in his lap, watching her methodical work. When she was finished she seemed to loiter by the far wall. She rubbed at her face and eyes before coming back and sitting at his side, leaning her head against his arm.

"I don't think I ever really thought about having children, and then...then there was _you._ And finding out Lucy was having a baby, I guess I got excited. Probably too much," She squeezed his hand. "I know you don't think you'd make a good father but you're pretty great with kids, actually. And you're loyal and protective, and everyday you're a better man than the day before. We aren't perfect, but between us I think we'd be okay. That's how parenting works," She shrugged.

Gajeel felt a weight lift in his chest and his eyelids grow heavy. Finally aware how tired he really was. He pulled her down to the bed and brought her to his chest.

"Gods above, I love you," He said to her. Without hesitation or tremor. Calmly, smooth, and unrepentant. Sincerity in every word. He felt like laughing. It was so stupidly easy to say. He'd been so afraid of it for absolutely no reason.

"I love you, too, even if sometimes I feel like I want to knock you senseless. Is it a Dragon Slayer thing that you all have to be so thick skulled?" Her laughter was like a drug. "Do you guys hold competitions or something?"

Gajeel laughed. They may as well have. Competitiveness was virtually in their blood.

"Nah, but we might have to. Startin' to feel like I'm a step behind the flame brain lately," He grumbled. Levy kissed the bottom of his chin while her fingers twirled around a few loose strands of her hair.

"Does Makarov know what we might be expecting?" She asked. She'd been helping wake people up at the guild while Gajeel and Natsu spoke with the guild master. She had the gist of things, but hadn't heard it all. Makarov had gotten something out of the men they'd detained. She just didn't know what.

"Yeah, the judge from that trial, can't remember the fuckers name now..." Gajeel yawned. His memory foggy.

"Matheson?" Levy offered, filling in the blanks.

"That's the guy. They dropped his name like it burned. Makes sense, considering the last time we met him he was trying to have you arrested. If you hadn't of backed his lacky into a corner he'd have nabbed you. He sure as hell didn't want anyone to know what he was after or why."

"Gajeel, are-are we expecting _rune knights?"_ She asked worriedly. You'd be hard pressed to find any team of knights capable of taking on a Dragon Slayer, but raising arms against council soldiers was a crime. If he used official men, they might get away this time but they would be hunted down for breaking the law.

"I doubt it. They want to keep this quiet. It'll be anonymous mercenaries. Maybe a rival guild. Something they can deny," He hugged her tighter.

That seemed to calm her significantly. She sighed and Gajeel angled her head back so she could look at him.

"I want a normal life with you. I want kids and a future. I want little blue haired terrors running around. I want to spend the rest of my life with you," He dragged his teeth over her ear lobe. Whispering to her. Pressed flush against him she could feel his hardening arousal.

Levy giggled.

"If Natsu and Lucy are going to be the first to have a baby, well, we'll just have to have _more_ than them then," She hushed in his ear with a smile.

His hand found her thigh, pulling it up and over his hip. When he rolled on his back, he took her with him. She squealed with laughter as she ended up on top of him.

"Sexy as sin _and_ competitive, too," He husked before pulling her down and dragging his lips over the line of pale glyphs streaking the skin down her neck. There was a tiny mark on her shoulder that he knew he'd made when he bit her before. Heat of the moment, no real thought behind it. But he was beginning to think there'd been a reason after all; his scent on her was strongest there. Almost having seeped into her skin, saturating down into her flesh.

He let her sit up over his hips and writhe against him. Her rear pressing against his groin, moving, torturing him. Her grin was almost feral, but still held a sweetness to her lips that he wouldn't have thought anyone else could pull off. How the hell could it be possible to look lustful and simultaneously innocent grinding over him? He couldn't even tell.

"Not worried about terrifying the innkeeper?" He teased her. She leaned down to his ear and whispered "silencing runes..." in it. Her warm breath shredding any kind of restraint he might have felt.

Fingertips slid under her top, gently guiding it up and over her head. The bruising across her abdomen and ribs had begun fading to a yellowish green that somehow managed to look just as painful as it's original purple incarnation. Gajeel paused to consider his options. She was still quite badly injured. He doubted they should have even had sex at the guild hall. The woman should be taking it easy.

He smirked lasciviously at her.

Gripping Levy by the waist he rolled her over onto her back before carefully trailing kisses along her jaw, down to her collar, moving between her breasts and over her stomach, inching lower. The script mages breath hitching in her throat at each soft kiss. He covered every square inch of bruise with his lips.

With his thumbs teasing the waist of her shorts there was a knock on the door. Of all the times for interruptions Gajeel couldn't have thought of a worse one. But his own frustrations were washed away at the look of blind fury on Levy's face. As much as he'd been happy for a break in the tension between them, it seemed she was borderline desperate for release.

"Oh for _fucks_ sake!" Levy cursed loudly

Gajeel sat back on his knees bellowing with laughter.

"I'm gonna answer the door and then I'm gonna come back and hear you say that again," He said with a grin. Gajeel knew with certainty that he had a new appreciation of the word, hearing her say it.

The knock on the door sounded again, louder than before. Gajeel could smell the old man. Pick up the sound of his impatient tutting.

The Dragon Slayer opened the door.

"A most disagreeable woman delivered this for you. Said she was moving her camp out to the old mill" The old wizard saint handed Gajeel a small parcel tied neatly with string. Gajeel said nothing but he smelled blood from it. Scented with fear and anguish. He nodded his thanks to the innkeeper and closed the door behind him. His girlfriend's questioning stare greeting him. Levy had heard the exchange and was sitting up on the bed, eager to know what would cause their back up to come down into the village and deliver a message in person like that.

Gajeel sat on the mattress beside her and carefully began to undo the knots and ties binding the package up. It was a small bundle wrapped in stained parchment.

He peeled it open, inch by inch. Gajeel winced and set it down on the bed. Now unwrapped, they could see a man's severed finger sitting at its center. A single word in charcoal scrawled on the paper. Gajeel smelled old birch, and sap, written with charred remains of wood from a fire.

The single word 'scout' letting them know that that whatever was coming for them now, was going to be arriving soon.

But it also told him, that whatever that something was, it had absolutely no idea what would be waiting for it.


	34. Chapter 33

_"Oh,_ I feel a little queasy..." Levy looked pleadingly at Gajeel. "Can we get rid of the finger?" She asked him, looking suddenly pale, her amorous mood, gone and forgotten. Thinking about it, so was his. Severed limbs usually had that effect. It was expected.

Gajeel poked at the finger. Horrifyingly it looked like it had been bitten off. Guild ring still intact. The stump was jagged and ripped. Pulled apart at the joint. The symbol for the Hammerdown mercenaries stamped on the face of the gold band. Methodical, reputable and exceedingly expensive, Hammerdown never branded themselves. It was easier to remove a ring and deny a guild member was ever actually a guild member, than it was with a tattoo. To prevent the darker jobs they took from coming back to them or their clients.

The severed digit was fresh. Blood not yet dried. The man must have seen or found something he shouldn't have for her to have taken him out. There wouldn't have been any other reason to kill him and cast suspicions on the whole thing. Though ripping off a finger sounded like an act of rage, rather than necessity.

"Can we flush it down the toilet or something?" Levy asked, hopeful.

Gajeel harrumphed. Of all the things to hear his girlfriend ask him while sitting half naked on a large bed. It was _weird._ He truthfully felt incredibly uncomfortable all of a sudden.

"It's small enough," He acquiesced, slipping the ring off the finger and setting it on the bedside table. It wasn't likely that the weighty piece of bloodied gold would flush at all. They'd need to dispose of that separately. "Back in a second," He stood and wandered into the bathroom. The toilet sounding a moment later.

"Well, I can mark that of my 'never done that before' list," Gajeel grunted. They weren't even an hour in town and already they were getting severed fingers in the mail.

"You think we should see if she needs any help?" It was one of Levy's most admirable traits; always looking out for others. It was a valid concern. Their unlikely compatriot was out in the woods on her own and had already had a run in with trouble.

"If she was okay enough to drop off a severed finger and a note, I reckon she's fine," He reasoned, but shook his head at the look of ligering concern on her face. "The old geezer spoke with her, we'll ask him if she looked okay. That do you?" It was far too risky to go out there at the moment and be spotted. Even though she'd taken out men, there was still nothing to link her to them yet, and it was a dangerous world out there. A group of men stumbling across a lone woman in the forest might not leave her be. They might find themselves very dead for the trouble.

If they were very lucky she might even be considered competition. This type of work was usually pay on delivery and clients often hedged their bets on more than one group. She fit the bill quite well, what with her appearance, skills and demeanor. She didn't have the look or the manner of a Fiorean. No guild mark either.

Levy didn't answer him with words, instead throwing herself at him in a hug. He caught her assault mid-air with a laugh and turned, falling back onto the bed with her in his arms. They still had several hours till dinner and Gajeel was happy enough to spend those sleeping, with her curled against him.

* * *

They ate in awkward silence. The weather mage glaring daggers at Gajeel for the entire meal, which actually turned out to be quite good. Slow cooked beef that made him wish the man would move closer to Magnolia. It was almost worth the staring. The Dragon Slayer grimaced at the man's open and unconcealed dislike of him. In a way he was used to it. People he knew quite well, people he worked with held a barely concealed distain at his very presence for the most part. It may have been changing, but it was a slow process. He was used to having enemies.

The tension between them all clearly made Levy very uncomfortable. Her small hands fidgeting with the cutlery, her eyes looking anywhere but at them. Eventually though, even she'd had enough.

 _"So,_ the woman that arrived with the package..." Levy began, somewhat nervously. "...you didn't happen to notice if she was hurt or anything. I mean, did she seem okay?" She set down her fork completely at the frown now winding its way across the old man's face. "Her letter said she might have run into trouble," She quickly explained.

The weather mage looked down at his dinner and shook his head.

"Blood wasn't hers," He deadpanned, taking another mouthful of his own food, uncaring.

Levy looked wide eyed at Gajeel. He patted her hand reassuringly from across the table.

"I'm sure she's fine, Shrimp," He whispered soothingly to her.

She wasn't her sister. Wasn't a guildmate. But Levy was the type of woman that didn't leave people behind when things got rough. She'd made mistakes in the past, but she made it a point to never repeat them. She wouldn't leave the woman out there to the figurative wolves.

The wizard saint looked confusedly at them. Having spent the majority of his life a soldier, he knew when to worry. Her presence concerned him more than her safety. Atlan could be ruthless. They threw their own children to dogs to punish insolence. They were a small country, with a xenophobic people and a comparatively tiny population, probably because they killed more of their own than any enemy state, and their country was one locked in by desert. Their government, their culture was feared for its brutality and their lands weren't worth the cost of taking. The wars that took place never officially involved them. They were for the most part, neutral. Chaotic neutral. But neutral none the less. Their people, the ones that chose to leave their homeland, sold their skills to the highest bidder. If Fiore went to war, guaranteed there would be Atlan on both side of the battlefield. What was just as certain was that they would give each other no quarter.

In so many ways, they were little more than slaves to a society and breeding that turned them into killers.

Gajeel bit back the snarl when the old man scoffed at him.

"Once knew a soldier of fortune from Carak, small province north of the Atlan Beash desert. Man didn't speak and he'd walk with a limp. Broken leg that'd healed wrong. He didn't do too much. Commander hired him to take the night watch most of the time, so my squad wouldn't have to. Don't think I ever really saw him sleep in the three months he travelled with us. I didn't know too much about Atla at the time. I thought the man was a trader more than a soldier. He didn't seem particularly dangerous. And then one night we got caught out. By the time we were awake he'd beaten two of them to death with his fists before taking a knife in the throat," He leaned forward for emphasis. "I watched him pull a blade out of his neck and kill three men with it in the time it took him to bleed to death," He swallowed another mouthful of food. His face a mask of indifference again though his eyes were piercing. "Your _friend_ will be fine."

His tone left Gajeel with no doubts that the man was carrying some sort of grudge. As much as he seemed to dislike Gajeel for reasons unknown, there was a tightness to the set of his jaw when they mentioned her. She must have left an impression.

"Next night without a moon we'll take a walk out there," Gajeel ignored his words, the smell of anxiety starting to roll off Levy was enough to taint the flavour of the food. The old wizard saint was doing nothing to help the situation, contrary to Gajeel's original plan to assuage Levy's fears that this escapade wouldn't get someone killed. He'd done nothing but rattle them both. Only in different ways.

"We should probably turn in," Gajeel announced and he never saw Levy move as fast from the table. Despite all that she'd said about her not being her sister, he was beginning to doubt how much she truly felt it. Emotionally she was gravitating toward the woman. Gajeel expected before all this was over and done with there'd be a Fairy Tail brand on the seamstress and Levy would be inviting her to family dinners. He felt odd about referring to her without a name. People had names. She was a _person._

Though the woman would need to lay off of the finger removal in the future. He knew from personal experience that the unrestrained violence wouldn't earn her any favours back at the guild. Though Natsu had warmed to her quickly enough.

Gajeel also had his concerns about the full extent of her magic. It had been bothering him for some time now, how Calus' magic seemed to have morphed from the first time they'd seen him do something. When he'd emerged wearing her skin, he'd commanded the _earth_ to swallow that warlord. Able to exert his will over the inanimate. Whereas, lately he seemed only able to influence people. Like a puppet master. Gajeel wondered how much of that original display of power had been him, and how much had been the lingering traces of Levy's sister he'd stolen. There was a chance that the seamstress had power enough to influence more than souls with her voice.

Gajeel watched Levy go, heaving a tired breath before leveling the innkeeper with a withering look.

"I ain't got a problem with you, don't even have a problem with _you_ having a problem with _me._ But lay off the doom and gloom. That's not helpin' anyone here," He gave the old man a hard look. "Be straight with me. How'd she seem?"

The man pushed his plate aside and folded his hands on the table. He was a soldier, through and through. Gajeel's direct, no nonsense approach seemed to be the way to go with him.

"Tired. A little shaken but she covered it well. I couldn't see any injuries but she was bloodied up some," He answered clearly.

"She can heal herself. Doesn't mean she ain't _hurt,_ though," Gajeel admitted. He was beginning to think that the person in the most danger in Brink was in fact their backup. At the inn they may have made visible targets, but out on her own she was certainly the _easiest_ of the targets. Levy's concern was well founded it would seem. Woman always seemed a step or two ahead of him in most ways.

"If you see her again, don't let her leave without speaking to one of us," Gajeel whispered leaving the man to the remainder of his meal.

Levy was showering when he got back to their room. The smell of soap and the sound of running water permeated the area. He lay down on the bed and closed his eyes, focusing his hearing on the noises outside their accommodation. Trying to relax. The shuffling footsteps of their not so gracious host, the whistle of a kettle downstairs. The sound of Levy humming in the shower. But there was something else. Something bothering him. He concentrated for a moment longer before he recognized what was grating so roughly at his sense of calm.

The smell of fire and the crackle of flame on wood. It wasn't a cold night and probably to prevent any drunk guests from setting the inn alight in the middle of the night, there was no hearth at the Sky inn. The building may have been old but the facilities were all modern. His eyes snapped open and he stood and threw open their windows, coughing as billows of smoke wafted in.

Through the hot, stinging haze he saw the yellow flicker crawling up along the wall beneath their room window. Climbing higher and higher.

They'd been expecting that Levy would put up protections. Wasn't that _precisely_ the method of defense she'd choose? They'd only done the most rational thing to do instead of following them into an obvious trap, it was way simpler to just _burn_ them out.

Gajeel burst into the bathroom earning him a squeal from the script mage who silenced herself seeing the look of panic on his face. She reached for a towel and followed quickly after him, coughing on the smoke filled air and grabbing as much of her things as she could before heading downstairs.

They burst through the door behind the bar to find the innkeeper seated at one of the tables sipping tea.

The absurdity of the man's level of calm was beyond understanding.

"You're on _fucking fire!"_ Gajeel shouted at him. The man set down his cup with a look of insincere concern.

"Am I?" He asked dubiously, facetiously patting down imaginary flames on his torso, before shaking his head disbelievingly.

Then Gajeel heard it outside. The sound of thunder. The noise of it so loud it made the walls quake, the cutlery rattle and buck against the wooden shelves. Followed by rain. Heavy belting rain. The wood outside stripped bare with the force of the downpour.

The fire that had been set against the back wall of the inn, directly under their room wouldn't be spreading in this. Gajeel would be hazarding a guess that the torrential rainstorm that had sprung up out of nowhere was drowning the flames licking the outside of the building.

The old man huffed at the state of the pair of them. Gajeel was in his bare feet holding his bag and boots in each hand. Levy was wrapped haphazardly in a towel, clutching rumpled clothes and her satchel to her stomach. The innkeeper stood slower and walked to the door. Opening it to a crystal clear night sky and a waxen moon.

The only indication that there'd even been rain was the thick, deep mud outside. The rainfall too heavy and too fast for the ground to have absorbed it.

"You should be able to track their footprints in the mud. They took off north," He gave them the slightest of grins. The excitement of the evenings events having lifted his otherwise down, stoic manner. "They won't outrun the storm."

* * *

Gajeel debated the reasoning behind following them. The plan had been to lure their pursuers to the inn and catch them out. Leaving the safety of their trap to chase after them didn't seem like wisdom. But the bait had already worked. Record time as well. Not even one night. They were clearly being watched. But considering they'd already played their surprise wizard saint card so early, the bait might not be enough to lure them in a second time. Their best chance now was while their attackers were off guard and on the run.

Dressing quickly and taking a few necessities, Levy and Gajeel took off into the darkness after them. The Dragon Slayer's night vision picked out the boot prints easily enough in star light. The width between the steps telling him just how frantic the run had been in the rain. Slipping and sliding sideways and back, unable to gain purchase on the slick slope up into the woods out of town.

Gajeel saw it in the darkness before Levy, the enormous blades of the mill in the distance.

In terms of speed and strength, Gajeel was difficult to outclass, but this terrain was tough for him. Even using iron spikes in his boots the mud hindered him greatly. Levy being much smaller made much quicker work of it and he found himself coming up the rear as they tracked their prey. The sight of her racing ahead of him while they hunted down their quarry made his blood sing.

The tracks were leading toward the abandoned building. If Gajeel was in their position he'd be looking for somewhere to take shelter. Quite likely they spotted the old mill at a distance on their way down into town and figured it would be the best place to regroup. The rain was still falling heavily at their location when Gajeel and Levy arrived. They soaked through in seconds, stepping into the storm; a verifiable wall of falling water.

The men probably hadn't realized that someone was already in there when they'd arrived. Gajeel reckoned the woman was more than likely in a foul mood if the days events had been anything to go by. After all, she'd already run into trouble twice and had to move camp; she'd been in town all of about six hours. He felt like laughing. _Another_ trouble magnet. She was definitely Fairy Tail material.

Gajeel took back what he'd said about the trap being sprung early. They really couldn't have organized this better had they actually _tried._ They had them legitimately surrounded.

As they drew closer the sounds of clashing steel grew louder, punctuated by the crack of splintering wood. A man exploded out through the closed doors and when he landed it was square in the middle of a circle of runes. Levy's fingers darting in the air. The woman hadn't needed her light pen for this type of precision work for some time, and she was only growing faster.

Gajeel rushed into the building while Levy made sure no one was escaping and the sight that greeted the Dragon slayer was one of chaos. The great stone grinding wheel at the base of the mill had been split in half. The sundered stone worn down by use and currently divided into two separate pieces. Old, stale flour coated the Hammerdown men. Though men would be a stretch. Some of them were too young to be considered more than children to Gajeel. Definitely not experienced enough to have been sent out on a direct assault against mages. Fairy Tail mages, no less. More than likely they were inexperienced recruits tasked with setting the blaze and driving them out for a a stronger team to take down. It clearly hadn't gone to plan. Gajeel could see some older groaning bodies lying in the debris.

Much to the Dragon Slayer's surprise, the woman hadn't killed _any_ of them. They were all in various states of injury, but they were still breathing.

The handful of remaining opponents turned to him then. He extended his hands and they watched with careful consideration as his fingers merged and formed a pair of long jagged blades. Though, if he'd have had to give them one piece of advice, it would have been to _never_ turn your back on the crazy woman with the weapons. Erza was a walking poster for that particular sentiment.

One of the men fell to his knees clutching the back of his head with bloody fingers. The seamstress having materialized behind him only to crack him over the skull with the pommel of her sword forcing the others to move. Grouping together for protection. She'd been a match for a half a dozen of them. They stood no chance against Gajeel. The stun grenades at their hips told him exactly how they were planning to complete their mission when already outmatched.

"We've been fucking set up," One of the older rasped in anger, having taken a good look at Gajeel and realizing they'd been pinned between the two Fairy Tail parties. From the outside it looked like they'd been manipulated. In truth, it was a lucky coincidence but a guild like Hammerdown wouldn't see it like that. It was too convenient. Too neat. Too precise. A guild like theirs would certainly come with their share of enemies; competition, old allies turned bitter rivals. Unlike the wizards guilds, the others didn't have a governing body like the Magic council, there to watch their every move and bring them to heel when they crossed the line. If they weren't found to be outside the local laws, if they weren't caught, they rarely suffered consequences. As a result though, these guilds often found themselves battling each other. Everything from clients to interrupted missions. Territory.

No one really cared so long as they kept it between themselves. No one intervened.

The man to his side turned away from the tired and bleeding woman and rushed Gajeel, who sidestepped a clumsy, fatigued swing and brought his own blade down, sheering the man's sword in two and sending him staggering with the force of it. His hands shaking having taken the impact up his arms.

Gajeel grinned, dropping before he swept the mans feet out from underneath him and pinned him to the dirt. A heavy boot at the base of his throat.

The Dragon Slayer motioned for the seamstress to move back, and she glared unhappily at him but followed his lead. He assessed the situation quickly. The men would be idiots not to know that they were after Fairy Tail wizards. But thanks to the turn of events, it looked like all of this had been planned. Gajeel figured the best thing to do would be to play along with their current fears. That they'd been double crossed.

"I think we've _all_ been set up here," He looked down disapprovingly at the man at his feet. "Guaranteed from your faces you weren't expecting a third party," He let his eyes flicker to the seamstress hoping the man followed his train of thought. "Just like we weren't expecting an official guild. Fairy Tail ain't in the business of making enemies like that over a few jewel,"

If he was careful and convincing, he could brush this off as someone trying to play both sides against each other. Hoping they'd take each other out, or weaken each other enough to take down themselves. Gajeel grinned. This was what he was good at. He knew how these types of men thought. He'd _been_ one of these types of men.

He could see the man's face betray his mind. Gajeel was making sense. A lot of sense. The Dragon Slayer prepared himself for the final nail. If he was right then he could have the client blacklisted with the guilds. As competitive and volatile as their relationships were with each other, they still communicated disreputable clientele. None of the other guilds would ever admit to helping orchestrate something like this so they would go ahead with the rest and blacklist the client regardless of any potential involvement.

"Matheson?" Gajeel let the name drop and it fell like a stone along with the man's face. He knew he'd hit his target when the guild member waved to the others to stand down.

Gajeel removed his boot and let the mercenary stand. The seamstress put her swords away and walked passed them, purposefully clipping one of the men's shoulders with her own. Making him stumble, hard. Gajeel caught the smile pulling at her face as she moved by him and headed outside. There were seven in total, not counting the man still with Levy, trapped in runes.

"We'd rather not get anyone else involved in this," Gajeel began. "Could do without the embarrassment," He finished.

The Hammerdown man rolled his shoulder and picked up the pieces of his sword before tossing them aside in distain.

"Agreed," He glanced to Gajeel, understandingly. "Stupid fuck's gonna regret pissing us about," He snarled.

Those left standing helped their comrades to their feet and filed outside. Battered, bruised but luckily alive.

"There a guy missing a finger?" Gajeel asked, curiously looking around. She'd been surrounded by seven men and hadn't killed a single one. He needed to know what kind of person she was. He'd seen her kill. She'd cut a bloody path through the fortress the last time, but in between it, seemed she'd lost her taste for death and destruction. What had made her rip off a finger, he wasn't entirely certain he'd be happy finding out, but he needed to know.

"There _was._ We're a lot of things, but..." He wrinkled his nose in distaste before laughing humorlessly. "We'd have done worse to him if we'd have caught 'em. Surprised, honestly, any desert dog I ever met would have feminized him and fed him his own _balls,_ " The man grinned.

Gajeel nodded silently. He didn't find the joke terribly funny. Though it explained why one man's finger ended up wrapped in parchment. He grit his teeth. He'd need to speak to Levy about it. He wouldn't even be the right person to bring this up directly. He very much wanted to keep his _own_ jewels intact.

The mercenaries left and Gajeel expected they'd see a quiet period before the next wave against them. The next step would be to find someone on the council they could trust. Bring them into it. If Matheson got blacklisted, their story would be easy to prove. The official guilds would back them up

Levy was waiting outside for him. The man she'd trapped was gone, along with the remainder of those hired to take them.

The script mage spared a glance to Gajeel, worry on her face. The woman in armor was walking with a limp now. Her body trudging slowly through the mud. When she stumbled and fell Levy was at her side to catch her. Though the combined weight of the armor and weapons sent the script mage to her knees in the muck.

 _"Gajeel?"_ She asked pleadingly as the woman in her arms lost consciousness.

The Dragon Slayer grabbed one of the straps across her back, the largest of the leather pieces holding her pauldron in place and hoisted her over one of his shoulders.

Levy placed her hand on his forearm and let it linger. The pair of them were soaking wet and their skin had started to cool. But the place they touched was a burning source of heat.

* * *

Notes

Bit of a longer chapter. I've tortured myself over the pacing. I've gone and got the flu and I honestly can't be happy with it.

I have so many people to thank. You've been so amazing a support. You wouldn't believe how much.

Where'sTheFood, Desna, piranha pk, Rachel3003(you rest up! Don't make me bubble wrap you!), lilphoenixfeather, Moonlight Goddesses, ro-blaze, kmmcm, EllaEllaAye, Satanovna and every favorite and new follower. Every message.


	35. Chapter 34

Levy watched over her as she slept. They spent two entire days at the inn before Makarov gave them the orders to leave. The innkeeper moved a cot into their room. All chances of privacy gone as they took it in turns, gritting their teeth while she screamed in her sleep. Nightmares. Terrible nightmares. Those two days neither Levy or Gajeel got a minute's rest.

It wasn't difficult to confirm that Matheson had indeed been burned by the contracted guilds. Makarov had simply asked. They had _no_ problem ratting him out. One guild to another. With Mest present and recording the official proof that what Fairy Tail was claiming had more than a merit in truth. But by the time an investigation was opened, Matheson was gone.

The council's main concern at the moment wasn't the man himself, but rather the distinct possibility of co-conspirators. A hell of a lot of jewel and manpower had been fronted in his machinations, more money that he could have possibly gotten his hands on alone. An enormous deficit in official council coffers, access to which he didn't have.

Matheson had taken the book, but worse than that, having been put on a somewhat embarrassing backfoot, the council had revealed to Fairy Tail that _Calus_ had also taken a souvenir on _his_ assault at the fortress. Namely, Garron's black lacrima; to get around the seemingly innate inability to naturally harness the power of the well of souls to any large scale extent. A puzzle the dead warlord had already considered and had spent his later years trying to solve. The crystal could absorb and store its power. Instead of taking that dangerous energy into himself, he could use it instead.

Three main players. Three pieces required to open a door and draw out the energy of the well. But still little in the way of motivations so far.

From what they had discovered, Matheson was a stringent patriot. A loyalist. That he would betray and undermine the council he'd devoted his life to, was unthinkable to many that knew him. Fairy Tail had few friends on the council, and it was likely they didn't have all the information just yet. Clearly there was something they weren't being told. Something they didn't know.

Back at the guild, Porlyusica ran every manner of test, both physical and magical that she could think of. She scoured her books for any obscure potions, or information that might identify the problem with the seamstress but could find no reason for her state. She carried no lingering wounds. No poison. Nothing foreign that she may have been reacting too. She was suffering some mild magical deficiency but that seemed to be expected. She'd expended a lot of power healing herself over the previous week, on top of helping Gajeel. She lacked the stamina for the kind of effort she'd made in terms of magic use.

Bickslow was the only person that hadn't seemed overly worried by it. He could see it, all those tiny separate pieces were currently merging. A new singular entity forming in its place. Her mind would no doubt still be a jumble. The woman had the memories of a dozen simultaneous lives to contend with, try and organize, but she was using her new experiences to tie them all together. This was the final stage of what couldn't properly be completed in the void. Where she'd stitched and tied the separate fragments into a functional whole but full healing hadn't been possible.

The Seith mage hovered around her, maybe more so than Levy did, and the script mage had barely left her side in the days previous.

Bickslow was in a unique field of magic. Possibly in a few years, after the last Sieth vanished, his might even join the realms of lost magics. To witness something like this wasn't simply a once in a lifetime chance. It was doubtful that something like this would ever repeat itself.

"You don't have to stay," Levy said, startling the Seith mage from his groggy trance.

"No, I don't, little blue," He smiled tiredly.

Levy moved around the other side of the bed closer to him. As though proximity could help her see what he did.

"What does it look like?"

"Colours. Ones I can't even name. I don't think they even have names. Peoples souls usually give off a faint hue. Like an aura. Hers is changing colours. Forming new ones," He added.

"Why's it happening now?" She asked sleepily.

"Remember when I said that a soul needs a body to heal?" She nodded. "That's because you need a body to live. Experience and choice, the things that happen to us, that we do, the decisions that we make, they all shape who we are. I'd say she started reshaping herself the moment we started letting her make her own decisions. All those pieces she was holding together are almost gone. I'm looking at an almost complete soul," He grinned. Not mentioning the black piece. The darkest part. Unlike the rest, it wasn't merging. It stood out. A dark mark still tightly held in place with calming threads. Peace. Quiet. Sleep. The thoughts she pierced it with.

"I don't think we did the right thing letting her go with us," Levy admitted to him. It bothered her that they took advantage of someone who in truth was in a vulnerable situation. She may have been good in a fight, but with everything else going on they should have given her the time and space she needed.

On top of that, Gajeel had mentioned to her that the finger she bit off might have been completely deserved. The woman could heal herself at will. Levy had no idea what might have actually happened to her. There would be no physical marks.

Bickslow could read her like a book. See her soul flare with the guilt she was feeling. He looked to her questioningly. Encouraging her to voice her concerns.

"I think something might have happened to her. But I know she wouldn't say even if we asked," Levy winced. They took advantage of her. There was no denying the truth. She was convenient, skilled, willing and useful. But they should have known better. Been better.

"She's an adult, Blue," Bickslow picked up on her train of thought clear enough. "She can make her own choices," He said seriously. "If you're looking to know if something happened, I can find out for you?" He offered. In her current condition she wouldn't even be aware if he took a quick look at her recent memories. He could, easily enough. She was an open book right now. No defenses to speak of.

Levy thumped him on the arm, angrily.

"Yes, why don't we just go invading her privacy like that," The anger fading. "Let's try not to be assholes, shall we?" She reprimanded him.

He took it in his stride. Shrugging nonchalantly. He wouldn't admit it but he got a little bit of a thrill out of winding people up.

"Hey, it was just a suggestion," He said laughing.

Levy wilted.

"Its fine. I'm just tired. She went through hell. I guess we'll just need to trust she can deal with it. You'll call me if anything changes?" She asked, yawning. Needing sleep very badly.

Bickslow nodded and waved her out, settling back into his chair. Watching the colours swirl like water. Changing shape and hue by the second.

He didn't even feel his eyes closing. Falling asleep, chair tipped back against the wall.

* * *

The Seith found himself blinking stupidly as he came to awareness. No longer in the recovery ward at the guild. Instead he was outdoors, standing under a burning sun. His eyes were seared by the light. Shielding them with his hand his mouth dropped as his surroundings came into better focus as he adjusted.

Around him sandstone towers jutted up into a blinding sky. The heat was almost unbearable and his own homeland was no frozen tundra. He'd experienced heat. Lived in places that got truly hot. But this was different. He could feel the stone underfoot burning through his _boots._ The leather becoming almost painful to the touch in moments. He spun on his heel, looking around trying to get his bearings. Searching his mind for his last memories, he recalled the guild room. Sitting vigil over a bed.

The truth hit him like the lash of a whip. Lightning realization. This was a memory. But not one of his.

People walked by him on the street. They wore loose, long tunics, long hair. They moved by, completely unseeing, his presence should have been noticeable, after all, in comparison he stood out in his jeans and T-shirt like an acutely obvious sore thumb. But the people gathering in the marketplace, going about their daily business didn't notice him. Didn't look at him. As a foreigner to Fiore himself, Bickslow could boast to having travelled extensively. There were few places he hadn't been or seen, but this was somewhere new. The architecture was exotic. The smells; spices and nuts and strange, sweet fruits. He staggered round the dreamscape watching everything with eager, hungry eyes. Searching for the familiar.

A small pained squeak followed by laughter took his attention away from the market square and dragged his scorching feet toward a small alcove, nestled under a canopy of a shop. Crowded inside, muttering and giggling amongst themselves a group of boys had gathered round a reclining chair. The boy in it wipping tears from his eyes, laughing hysterically. Fingertips touching the new ring in his nose. Another of the children took his place while a man in a long ankle length robe pierced his in the same way. Their eyes tearing up uncontrollably. Like plucking a nose hair the reaction was an automatic one. When they were all done, the man in robes lowered his head and lifted his hands. A blessing while they all scurried away chattering in a language that Bickslow finally recognised.

"You shouldn't be here," The suddenness of the language change jarred him. His mind having already started to pick out phrases and words for translation. Then to be confused as the common tongue changed.

He turned to find the seamstress leaning against a wall, casually watching the boys run thought the crowd, pushing and teasing each other.

"Hey, I just fell asleep. This isn't my doing, sweetheart," Bickslow snapped back defensively.

She frowned in thought suddenly.

"Shit. Probably me then," She mumbled under her breath. " I'm gonna need to start sleeping with those fucking cuffs on," She grumbled.

Bickslow grinned, arching an eyebrow at the comment. There were a few points in his life he'd had exactly the same thought.

He watched her eyes follow one of the boys as he tumbled into the dirt, his tackle having been countered by his larger adversary.

"That's Jona. He was head of Garron's guards. He was never the biggest man so he made himself the quickest, the hardest to hit. Calus took the happiest memories he had, but he left these. The majority of life is just a hazy middle," She looked sad. "When I move, and you ask yourself if I'm a person or a _snake,_ it's because of him," The scene warped, the sandy soil speeding under his feet and they were watching another man, he was holding two wooden swords and weaving between a half a dozen younger opponents with a grace that looked ridiculous for someone his size. Truthfully he must have been close to seven foot tall. A tower of lean muscle. Bickslow watched one of the young men rush him swinging wildly, only to have the man counter it, dodging to the side and driving his elbow into his ribs for the effort. The entire maneuver was effortless.

"When I pick up a sword, it's his doing I even know how to _hold_ it," She laughed.

The man in the ring clipped the ankle of one of his trainees, sending him sailing onto his face. When he laughed it was the same laugh. Her laugh.

"I don't understand?" Bickslow had heard all the stories people would spread about Atla. Very few of them positive. But he was seeing something else. This was all so normal. These were people, living and breathing. Getting married. Having children. But rumours usually had some sort of basis in truth.

"Forced poverty. Mandatory military device for all boys. All the families that couldn't buy their way out of it. Religion," She said.

The Seith frowned.

"They purposefully keep the people poor?" He asked, uncertainly.

"Yes. And uneducated. If you keep people ignorant and impoverished you keep them dependent on you. The rulers have strong ties to the national religion and they keep the priests' pockets full. And _they_ keep the people in line," She looked out passed the square where two women clad in leather armour were sparing with short blades. "They divided and debased the men, oppressed the women. There was a ten thousand year old legacy of female warriors in Atla. And in five hundred years they'd stripped that away. With so much poverty, their sons and daughters became the only guaranteed currency. Boys to war. And their girls to whoever's bed could pay the most."

Bickslow coughed, bile crawling up his throat at the next scene. The remembered smell of death so visceral it burned his nose. Turned his stomach.

Men and young boys scrambled over a mountain of bodies, the flesh of hundreds having been left to rot in the sun. Dried blood and flies, maggots and snakes crawling in them. Behind them soldiers in armour followed with whips. Driving them to climb through the carnage. Faces hidden behind bronze masks, shaped like predatory birds. The metal enchanted to reflect the heat of the sun.

The steel tips of the whips carved open wounds in the backs of the ones to fall behind.

He stared at her in horror. The level of barbarism was almost too much to take in. As he looked at her he saw her clothing change to rags, her face suddenly bloodied. Whip marks on virtually every free inch of skin, he turned away from it, unable to stomach the sight.

"You can see why so many choose to leave and why we're so broken," She muttered.

 _"You_ aren't broken," Bickslow said out loud. He'd only thought the words but no sooner than he did they'd come tumbling out like word vomit. Laxus had always joked you couldn't shut him up but this was ridiculous.

Words flowed so easily here. If he thought it, he spoke it. It wasn't possible to conceal anything in this place.

"You _aren't_ these people," He muttered. "You don't _have_ to be,"

She smiled. Bickslow felt a brush of something sinister in that expression of hers. Almost like a lingering threat.

"They're _all_ I am," She narrowed her eyes, considering him. "You know what I see? I see a little boy far from his homeland, crying at the table of his new guildmaster. Forced to flee his own family because they believed his magic was _evil."_ She intoned. _"He's_ broken, too," She remarked coolly.

The realization that while he was here with her, she was also stumbling though his memories, left Bickslow reeling. So distracted by this dreamworld he hadn't realized how compromised he'd become.

"Simultaneously?" He said, flabbergasted. She was sifting through her own storehouse of memories, his too, while still here to talk to him.

"I've lived a dozen lives at once, I _excel_ at multitasking," She sang.

He grit his teeth and sucked in a breath, drawing the walls up around himself. Hopefully shutting her out, but he could feel them now, those threads of hers buried deep. Doing Mavis knew what.

He fell to his knees, the effort of severing her costing him greatly.

"What do you want?" He demanded, angrily.

"I don't want anything," She said but he felt a tremor of something different. Different answers spilled into his mind. Souls couldn't lie. She wanted freedom. From her guilt. Her nightmares. She wanted to atone for her sins and the sins she carried. But words louder than anything else echoed in his mind sapping some of the anger he felt, and leaving him with a deep pity. _'I don't want to be alone'._

She'd brought him in here to begin with, hadn't she. Reaching out at her most vulnerable point.

He stilled his own thoughts and stood. It was possible to catch him off guard, he was only human after all, but he'd a lifetime of training behind him. He stretched out a hand and grabbed a hold of her wrist. Let his power wash over her. She stilled. Now that it had reformed into a single piece it was much easier for him to seize control of her. He could feel her panic at the sudden loss of power. She pulled away from the contact but he forced her to remain.

"I'm still stronger than you are, sweetpea. By a whole wide margin. And that's not changing any time soon. So don't think you get to go creeping your little strings about my soul without repercussions," He snarled.

He grinned and the world around them stopped moving. He was in control now and at a thought this facade was crumbling. It was time for him to go. If he was lucky, this would be nothing more than a dream to her waking mind.

"I'm sorry..." She whispered, vanishing into nothing. Her eyes held genuine remorse. They were the last thing to fade into thin air.

He felt more than a little stab of guilt. He knew now how terrifying his magic could be. What it felt like to have your body hijacked.

Fairy Tail was filled with good people, but they still did some shitty things. Levy's last comment had been not to be an asshole. Harder done than said.

The environment seemed to right itself. Normally Bickslow's world was a vision of colour but he could see now that hers was vibration. Even the inanimate had a resonance. And for a moment he saw it. Felt it. Something between sight and sound. An extra sense by which to view the world. She opened the fabric of existence with her music, just wide enough to twist her threads into it. Manipulate it. Necessity had given her experience with soul manipulation, but Bickslow saw capacity beyond that.

Sputtering he sat up in the chair, gasping for oxygen. The woman lying still in the bed. Her aura had settled to a sky blue, finally calmed. The rolling turmoil he'd seen before had faded. Even the black segment wasn't easily visible, buried deep. Contained.

The experience was difficult to retain after he woke up. Like smoke it wanted to drift away and the more he willed himself to remember the more it faded, but he was a Seith, and that came with some perks in dealing with these kinds of things. His dolls fluttered excitedly and he focused drawing the memories into his babies. Much easier to control when they weren't all rattling around inside in his own head.

He wasn't sure she'd remember their conversation. Even to him it felt muffled. Muddied. She'd apologised to him. When she woke up, he figured he might do the same.

* * *

Levy didn't even remember leaving the guild. She'd barely made it back downstairs to Gajeel she was so tired, stumbling along on heavy feet, clutching the walls for support. When she found Gajeel, the man was red faced, clutching a beer like a buoy as Erza shamelessly quizzed him on his family planning capabilities. When he saw her enter the room he looked pleadingly at her with a face that screamed 'save me'. He was a literal demon in bed, but in public he was a closed off individual. And oh by Mavis, Erza had turned the man's ears pink. The script mage genuinely heard Erza say 'clitoris' and Gajeel make a tiny meep, sweating profusely. She decided it was time to intervene.

Levy walked up and extended a hand to him. Erza turned to look at her with a knowing expression.

"I'm pretty tired. Can we go home?" She asked sweetly.

Gajeel jumped up from the table and hoisted Levy into his arms, while she giggled, before disappearing into the shadows. Barely a breath taken between. No goodbyes to Erza or anyone else at the guild. A mad dash out of the place.

The script mage was asleep before they even got home. The shadows and Gajeel's heartbeat lulling her into oblivion.

The next day, Levy was woken by the sun streaming onto the bed. She'd had good dreams. The first in a while. When she rolled over she found Gajeel awake and laying there, watching her with a grin on his face.

She'd barely had time to utter a word when he took her by the waist and rolled her over him. She could feel how much he was currently needing her. She giggled, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Have you been waiting long for me to wake up?" She asked him dubiously.

His eyes were red coals as he ran his hands up her chest over the T-shirt she certainly hadn't changed _herself_ into the night before.

"Not long," He husked. Bringing a hand up to cup her face, his thumb brushing over her lips. She opened her mouth and kissed the tip of the digit before taking it between her teeth and biting down.

He hissed, but it wasn't on account of pain. She could feel him twitch underneath her. She gave him a sultry look.

"Did you undress me last night?" She purred to him and Gajeel flashed a fang with the sly smile he gave her.

"I was a _total_ gentleman," He remarked.

Levy didn't doubt it. For one she'd have certainly woken up and two, Gajeel wasn't that kind of guy. She bent forward and kissed him, his hands traveling down her arms lightly making her shudder and gasp against his lips.

"Do I get a reward?" He jokingly asked her.

 _"Maybe,"_ The word came out a mewl as the Dragon Slayer arched his hips off the bed, pressing against her. "But what about my reward, saving you from Erza?" She blinked innocently at him.

Gajeel growled flipping their positions in bed and she watched his tongue snake out, flick across her skin hotly as he pushed up her shirt and dragged it across her abdomen.

She whined with desire, not knowing when she became so sensitive, so reactive to touch. Where he was involved she was a bundle of raw emotion, of exposed nerves. He got under her skin. Passed any kind of defenses. One look from him was enough to turn her into a blushing, bookish, dork. Or a raging lunatic depending on the situation. Red faced and tripping over her own words. One touch was enough to send her spiraling out of focus.

Gajeel actually had the edge of her panties clenched between his teeth when Lily knocked on the door.

Levy actually ripped the pillow from behind her head and fired it at the door, moaning frustratedly into her hands. The sexual tension could have been cut with a knife. She wasn't a Dragon Slayer but even she could smell the heavy, potent arousal in the air. Almost suffocating the both of them.

Gajeel looked downright murderous for a moment before his expression hardened.

"We got company, Shrimp. Looks like Council are paying us a visit," He rasped.


	36. Chapter 35

It was another new face she didn't recognise, sitting awkwardly on Gajeel's sofa beside Makarov while Mest did his best to make the meeting appear as casual as possible.

Lily flittering around with cups of coffee. The contents of which the man in council robes didn't touch. Electing to hold the mug like even contact with it might contaminate him.

Gajeel glared. Levy recognised it as his 'this had better be good face'. They'd had a long and arduous few days and Gajeel's home with its wards, rune protections and iron shutters felt like the only truly safe place. The very presence of the wizard council here, the very organization that tried to have Levy arrested, felt like a violation. To top it all off the couple had been rudely interrupted and Levy knew if Gajeel was feeling even an ounce of her frustrations, the council member trying to be coy on the couch was in serious trouble.

She absently squeezed his hand, the contact helping to ground him.

"I'd like to extend the Council's apologies to your guild for the trouble Matheson has managed to cause..." He started. Bloom was his name. A well dressed man with a condescending smile and a manner that told them he was accustomed to people following his orders.

Levy wasn't in the mood, interrupting the council member mid-sentence, much to Gajeel's amusement.

"You didn't _really_ travel all the way out here to give us an apology, _did_ you?" She asked, disbelievingly. Five hours by train for what could have been accomplished with a letter or lacrima communication. "We can't do a damn thing with an apology so unless you've got information, I'd be inclined to call this a wasted trip," She sneered. "There's the door," She motioned a hand outside.

Gajeel grinned. The only reason for a personal meeting would be to ensure no one intercepted the communication and that there was no written proof of what they'd said. Making it easy to deny later on.

The man twitched angrily, splashing coffee on himself. The jarring motion sloshing the contents of the still full mug onto his expensive green robes and Lily's freshly washed floors.

Gajeel shook his head, bemused, as Lily glared fiery daggers. Bloom set the cup down and tried brushing at the coffee on his clothing but the stains were well and truly soaked in.

"What Lev's trying to tell you is to cut the crap. We aren't interested in the pleasantries," Gajeel clarified rather bluntly. "You came here to tell us something, so tell us something we don't know," His tone made it sound like a demand.

Mest snorted at him and Gajeel gave him a look that told him to be quiet or find himself out on his ass.

"Matheson took the book...because he knew the council would never dream of using it," He remarked.

Makarov sighed.

"And why would _he want to_?" The guild master asked.

Why would the council's unwillingness to use something so dangerous matter to a man like that. For all intents and purposes, they consistently kept repeating the same lines about him being as loyal as they came.

"It _matters,_ because talks with our most powerful neighbours have broken down _twice,_ and there are rumours of a marriage between their respective kingdoms. As it currently stands, Fiore is not in a position to defend against an invading force. While some would disagree that that's ultimately where its headed, Matheson believed an invasion was inevitable," He uttered tiredly. It was unclear whether he himself believed along the same lines.

"I've seen some of the weapons the council has commissioned in the last hundred years," Makarov began. "Why would he feel the need to acquire power at all when there are more weapons at the council's disposal than could be counted?"

"All untested, and for them to be useful in dissuading an attack they would need to be used at least once. That in itself is almost a guarantee that even if we avoid war now, there will be no trade outside Fiore for a very long time. And at some point in the future, we may face a less direct attack. The death toll would be catastrophic," He reasoned. "We predict our economy would collapse within a month at most."

He looked almost pleadingly to Levy.

"But people already know about Sept's well of power. Seen it bring mountains down to dust. Obliterate towns and villages. If it was even _rumoured_ to be something we had access to..." He let them fill in the blanks themselves.

Matheson was looking for a deterrent to war, one with enough notoriety to guarantee a halt to any plans of invasion. But they all knew the council. _Eventually_ someone would seek to us it.

"If what you're saying is true, even if we manage to overcome both Calus Sept and Matheson, we may find ourselves standing on the precipice of a war that would _decimate_ the country," Lily interjected sharply. He could scarcely believe that Fiore could have slipped to such desperation with so few even noticing.

"Levy, Gajeel, you've both experienced its power first hand, do you think its possible to harness? If it meant the difference between war and peace, would it be worth exploring?" Makarov's direct question put them both off guard.

Levy had shed blood, and spilled it already for the sake of opening the well; it only seemed to have brought them more hardships. More terrors. In her brief discussions with the Seamstress, the woman had hinted at there being worse sleeping in the darkness than Calus Sept. She knew she was right. She'd felt its presence.

"Opening that door won't bring you anything but grief. I should know."

"And what about the woman you're keeping locked up in the guild? What would she say?" Mest voiced out loud and Makarov coughed in his coffee.

"Be careful, boy!" He warned.

How the man knew about her, Levy couldn't be certain. But then again, Mest was a spy of the highest caliber. It might be more surprising if he didn't know something.

"She'd probably laugh in your fuckin' face, shit for brains!" Gajeel snarled and Lily narrowed his eyes, advising caution.

"And we can't ask her? Surely, she can speak for herself?"

"She's recovering at the guild. She's not in any fit state to speak to anyone right now," Levy protested but Mest frowned at her. Clearly he didn't believe it. It hadn't necessarily occurred to them that the person with the most experience seemed to be her. She'd used its power to open doors back to their world, book be damned. She might not even need a copy at all to open a portal the other way.

Mest casually walked to the door and brazenly teleported out. Didn't even try to hide the fact that he was undoubtedly going to check.

Makarov stood abruptly. His face red with barely concealed anger. He looked the council member square in the face.

"Explain yourself!" The old man thundered and the remaining occupants in the room felt the magic runes present shudder under the sudden spike in power. No one baring ill will could enter Gajeel's home. Makarov was a a slowly bubbling pot of bad intentions right now and the magic was reacting to it.

"It would be best for everyone if the woman came back with us," He began and Makarov stared him down.

"I refuse to allow you to take one of my guild members into custody. Not unless you plan to charge her with something. Any protection required is the responsibility of her guild, first and foremost. I gave you free run with Levy, and we were betrayed by _your_ very own people. You seem to think I'll sit quietly while you walk into my home and throw your weight around," The old wizard saint snarled.

Levy snapped her jaw shut. She knew Makarov was buying time. Knew that like she knew that officially or otherwise, the woman wasn't a guild member. But a lot of Fairy Tail's guild marks weren't in plain sight and who's to say when she received one. If it stalled the council they could always apply one after.

"I'll leave that to Doranbolt to confirm, but I very much doubt it. Fairy Tail can be reckless but you don't know a thing about this individual. And from what I've been informed, she's hardly the kind of mage a reputable guild would accept into their midst," He rationalized. Clearly they'd been doing their own research.

"Believe me, they've slapped insignias on worse than her," Gajeel flashed him a toothy grin. After all, they slapped one on him, didn't they.

The tension became as real a presence as any of them. Slowly growing in the suddenly terse silence.

And then Mest materialized back. He blinked for a moment and looked around confused.

"I could have sworn I..." He stuttered confusedly. Levy didn't draw attention to the fading green sheen across the man's eyes. The blatant indicator that Seith magic had an involvement in his short term memory loss. Ironic considering the man's magic was teleportation and memory manipulation. He obviously got outflanked.

Gajeel very almost laughed out loud. Clearly Bickslow was still keeping watch. Which was was a relief. No doubt they'd try again, maybe with a show of force but the Dragon Slayer had been shown just how toothless the magic council was in this fight. They could barely manage their own territories, taking down Fairy Tail by force was currently beyond them. He doubted this man had the authority to make those kinds of decisions either. Not without a vote.

Mest looked like he could barely remember his own name. Forget about what actually transpired at the guild. He stumbled over his own words, looking worriedly to the council member who quickly realised they'd revealed their hand and now had absolutely nothing to show for it.

"While none of us agree with Matheson's methods, we cannot deny that the sentiment is a good one. He's trying to save peoples lives. I wish you'd see that," Bloom muttered before heading for the door. Mest was still too disoriented to teleport them outside.

With every new piece of the puzzle to fall into place the picture grew clearer. But it was far from a joyous image.

Lily flew Makarov back to the guild for expediency. Leaving Levy and Gajeel finally alone.

"So what now?" Levy asked him. Her coffee had gone cold and she wasn't in a particular mood to make more. Sitting on the arm of Gajeel's chair he wrapped a hand around her and pulled her into him. Levy could feel the tension in his body. Coupled with a burning heat that made her ache.

"I think we got interrupted at some point, Shrimp," He nuzzled her neck and she smiled sweetly at him, pulling away to kiss the corners of his mouth before brushing her lips over his teasingly.

"Oh, I forgot," She lied smoothly making Gajeel chuckle.

He picked her up and deposited her onto her back on the couch, slowly inching her knees apart. They'd been intimate so often at this point Levy didn't think she could even get embarrassed anymore but the light in Gajeel's eyes as he licked, kissed and nipped his way down the inside of her thighs made her blush furiously. She covered her face with her hands, unable to watch, before the Dragon Slayer dragged his first gasp out of her. Tongue pressing against her damp centre through a thin piece of fabric.

Gajeel grinned nefariously. Before the morning was out, he was going to make her scream on every single surface those idiots touched in his home. Until the only smell that remained was hers.

Lily was going to kill him.

He smirked, already he regretted nothing.

* * *

Bickslow was tired. Lack of sleep when women were involved wasn't an unfamiliar experience but it was usually a far more enjoyable time. He'd been sitting on alert for hours keeping her contained. She was singly, without a doubt the neediest soul he'd ever come across. Her power reached out for anyone in range. Even his dolls. Grasping at them. She was right, she would need to sleep with anti magic cuffs on.

Possibly for a very, very long time.

Bickslow was hyper alert when Makarov burst into the room, he hadn't even swallowed the first bite of toast Mira had brought him when the guild master interrupted. The Seith had been expecting as much after Mest had the misfortune of startling him that morning. He'd been so tightly wound from the nights events that he almost ripped the man's souls clean out of his body when he teleported in.

Mest Gryder would need a weeks vacation to get over the damage Bickslow had unintentionally caused him. He could see it. The shock seeping into the man's soul.

"Are you able to wake her up?" Makarov asked breathlessly, bent over his knees, trying to get his wind back. Bickslow nodded, he'd honestly been keeping her unconscious for the last few hours just in case whoever woke up wasn't entirely agreeable. It would be easier to get assistance when the others were awake. He could see the old wizard fumbling with the guild stamp in his hands.

"Sure thing, boss," He grinned easily but Makarov's panic coupled with his own exhaustion left him feeling nervous.

The Seith let out a slow hiss and drew her out of herself. They watch her suck in a breath and bolt upright. Momentarily thrashing in the sheets and blankets.

Bickslow leaned in and caught her wrists. He saw something like recognition flash in her eyes before she stopped, calming herself. He sensed uncertain familiarity from her. No doubt the tail end of their conversation was lingering like a dream. His dolls buzzed around her bed and she looked up at them warily before settling on Makarov.

"You've been unconscious for four days. I don't mean to seem uncaring or disinterested in your general wellbeing but more than likely, knights from the magic council are going to barge in here and try to take you into custody," He began, showing her the guild stamp. "If we formally initiate you into Fairy Tail they'd need to officially charge you with a crime to take you by force from the guild."

Bickslow released her and she rubbed her wrists before looking down at the foreign clothes Mira had dressed her. Clearly uncomfortable with the notion that someone else had undressed her. She rubbed her arms against a chill Bickslow couldn't feel. But the body she had was used to burning desert. Magnolia in Spring may as well have been Winter to her.

"Why would their custody be any worse than yours?" Her words were biting. It seemed suddenly foolish for them to expect her to agree so easily. Bickslow felt anxious about this. It was wrong, wasn't it? Joining a guild should be an auspicious occasion. It shouldn't be done at the barrel of a gun.

The Seith looked to Makarov and opened his mouth to protest but shut it with the glare the old man gave him.

" _Fairy Tail_ isn't the one looking to use the well of souls as a power source for war," He deadpanned.

She had barely a moment to think it over before the handle of the door twisted down; with shocking speed the woman snapped out her hand and plucked the brand out of Makarov's fingers only to press it against her forearm, just on the inside below her elbow.

She hissed at the sensation, concealing the stamp under the sheets at her side as Bloom and two new rune knights strolled in. Swords at their hips; appearance, all business. A glaring Mira following them. Makarov waving her away.

The seamstress made a face at the two men and Bickslow smirked at the look. He'd seen it before and it was _trouble._ Whether she'd realized or not she had an expressive face. It was easy to see just how vexed she was as the knights flanked her bed. She gave them a critical once over before Bloom approached only to stand over her. Bickslow noted that she was leaning away from him. Even in the Seith's native homeland it was considered a faux pas to impose your presence on a stranger like that. It was rightly associated with intimidation and disrespect.

"Should I be worried?" She looked him dead in the eye before indicating to the soldiers at the foot of her bed. He gave her a wide, watery smile.

"Oh, absolutely not. They're here for _my_ protection," He sounded all too convincing. But the looks all round told them no one was terribly convinced.

"Makarov, could you give us a moment?" He made it clear he wasn't requesting anything but the guildmaster nodded to Bickslow.

"Only if he remains," Makarov said nodding to the Seith mage.

Bloom frowned unhappily.

"I'm a member of the wizards council, I can assure you she's perfectly safe in my care," He snapped.

Bickslow saw a flash of something dark slither across her aura like a snake at the patronizing remark.

"Oh, he's here for _your_ protection," She said with more than a little malevolence. Throwing his own comment back at him. Makarov smiled as he left, knowing now they could handle it.

Bickslow moved up the wall at the far side of the small room so he was in a position to take all three council men if he had too.

"We hate to inconvenience you, but we're going to need you to come with us back to the council. We already have quarters set up for you. You'll have everything you could possibly want. Jewel. A new wardrobe?" He made the offer sound tempting enough that Bickslow was about to jokingly volunteer, but he could see her dislike of the man growing.

"Do you think I'm something to be bought?" She spread her hands in a gesture welcoming some sort of response. Bickslow kept a close eye on her. There, just underneath, the darkness slithered up again. Like a poisonous oil rising to the surface in a body of water. He'd assumed she was joking with her comment about him remaining for the councilman's own protection, but he wasn't entirely sure now.

"Do I fucking look like an individual that cares about fashion?"

As her voice rose the men at the bottom of the bed put their hands to the hilts of their swords.

She laughed humourlessly at the sight of them and turned and looked to Bickslow, smiling and he could willingly admit there was a fiercely terrifying sense of danger in it. Filled with moral abandon and the promise of stern retribution. If he didn't know her like he did he would think she were truly insane. Just from the manic gleam in her eyes.

"Am I that dangerous?" She asked Bloom, mockingly.

"Oh, heavens no. That's just standard procedure," He intoned trying to desperately calm down the spiralling situation, but sweat was gathering on his head.

"I asked myself what the difference would be between your custody and their's and I think competency is one. Did you really walk in here with the intention of bullying me into a gilded cage with phony soldiers?"

"I beg your pardon?" He shook out the words. Expression betraying his rising temper.

She pointed to the suddenly very sweaty rune knight on the left.

"That one smells like you scraped him off the floor of a bar," She looked to the other man. "Soft hands. Soft gut. Bad posture. He looks like a librarian," She snarled. "What'd you do, pay people passing on the street to put on a uniform?"

She was right of course. They weren't your average knights. On the surface they looked the part. But one of them was teetering on his feet, hungover and the other appeared to be a researcher or office worker. He could see they were nervous.

"Show me your guild mark!" Bloom demanded, reaching out to her with shaking hands and she angled her arm to show him the tattoo. He grunted. "You're making a terrible mistake," He snarled angrily and she grabbed him by the forearm as he turned to leave.

Bickslow saw it. A thread. Slipped in between the waves of rage and frustration. He opened himself up when he lost control of his temper. She smiled at the council man.

"I've made _many,"_ She said before he pulled himself free and scurried from the room, Makarov slipping back in behind him, relief evident on his face.

"It must be my imagination but have all the smart council people gone on vacation or something? Every single time they show up I just get the impression they're absolute _morons,"_ Bickslow chuckled.

"We're lucky, that's all," Makarov said. "The ones with any modicum of sense are elsewhere trying to ensure we don't get _invaded,"_ The guildmaster grumbled.

"That bad, huh?" The Seith said absently, moderately disheartened.

Makarov saw his expression and smiled warmly, shaking off the heavy despair he'd carried in with him.

"Not to worry, my boy. I've a plan," He paused suddenly, looking at the woman. "Every member of the guild gets added to a registry. Erza's reminded me that you haven't quite chosen a name yet. You made it clear previously that we shouldn't refer to you as Maeve. Is there anything you'd prefer we did call you?"

"Alma," She said not missing a beat.

Makarov rolled the name around a little. It was foreign sounding but then again the woman didn't look like a local.

"Welcome to Fairy Tail, Ali,"

And then he left them.

The woman groaned lying back in the bed. Bickslow could see that even something as small as that single effort had taxed her extensively. Her magical stamina was practically non existent.

"So _Ali,_ what'd you do to him?" He asked her. Making fun of the new nickname, which he could already see annoyed her, and referencing the thread he watched her sew in.

She frowned at him. After all, Makarov had asked her to pick a name, only to decide to call her something else.

"Nothing too bad. He'll be thinking impure thoughts about turnips for a while, though."

Bickslow blinked stupidly before what she said actually sunk in and he fell back into his seat laughing. He honestly couldn't ever remember laughing so hard in his entire life. He bellowed hysterically until he could barely breathe, hanging over the back of the chair wiping tears of mirth from his eyes trying to catch his breath. When he sat up he noticed she'd been watching him. A grin tugging at one side of her face. Gold laced her sky blue aura and Bickslow sobered watching it ripple through the blue.

"What? It was _funny,"_ He remarked, unashamedly.

She shrugged, scratching at the new dark blue symbol on her arm.

"I guess I'm not interested in being bought," She looked momentarily concerned. "I _really_ didn't like that guy."

She smiled suddenly.

"What was that? Was that a _smile?"_ Bickslow asked teasing her general apathy. Recovering himself enough to remember how tired and hungry he was.

"Its just a pity I didn't work in an uncontrollable sexual attraction to lampposts as well," She lamented. "That would have been _funnier."_

Bickslow grinned deviously.

"You might just be on your way to becoming one of my _favorite_ people," He flashed her a smile and slipped his helmet back on.

His own bed and a hot breakfast were calling him.


	37. Chapter 36

Lucy looked marginally apathetic sitting on her sofa, a burnt grilled cheese sandwich in one hand and a mug of overly milky, too sweet tea in the other. But there was a haunting gleam in her eye.

Gajeel had gone to the guild for breakfast with Lily, leaving Levy at Lucy's where the current situation had developed.

If Levy thought that Gajeel could be _suffocating,_ overprotective, thick skulled, he wasn't even a hairs breadth as bad as Natsu. Then again, _she_ wasn't pregnant and if this was any indicator of what to expect, the script mage was genuinely worried. Natsu paced back and forth, arbitrarily moving things, flicking through pages of magazines. Restless, anxious. Quite literally breathing fire.

Despite miraculously getting the all clear from both Wendy and Porlyusica, the fire Dragon Slayer was absolutely adamant that Lucy do absolutely nothing. It might not have been a bad idea. For a pregnant woman, the fact that her body had gone through all that it had was a testament to just how tough Lucy actually was. But even so, it was probably a good idea for her to be taking it easy. Natsu waiting on her hand and foot for a few days should have seemed like a good idea, but for the anxiety he seemed to be radiating.

Levy saw the baby pamphlets and catalogues scattered about the apartment, their edges singed black. Dark scorched thumb prints on everything. The apartment smelled like smoke.

Natsu was one of Levy's oldest friends. They'd practically grown up in the guild together. She could see he was a wreck.

He held out the two torn catalogue pages to Lucy. The two cribs on the sheets looked almost identical but one was substantially more expensive.

"What's the difference, Luce? I need to know. Look!" He waved one of the ripped, glossed pages in her face. "Where do they get off charging so much for this one?"

She gave him a sympathetic look while Levy glanced away, sputtering in her tea.

Lucy leaned in examining the cribs being advertised.

"Well, this one has a sleep magic woven into the wood to help the baby sleep at night," She looked at the other one and frowned. "This one is more expensive because its got a calming spell instead of a sleeping one. Harder to do apparently," She couldn't quite believe the difference herself, it was nearly forty-thousand jewel between them, reaching out she plucked the pages out of his hands.

"I don't know, Lucy. I'd think babies would be pretty calm when they're sleeping," He muttered confused.

Levy laughed. The logic of a Dragon Slayer.

"We aren't going to be using _magic_ on an _infant,_ Natsu. So a regular plain old crib is gonna be _fine,"_ She smiled easily at him. Trying to keep a straight face in the wake of his panic.

It was easy to tell they had no idea what they were ultimately doing but some things Lucy knew. Like for instance, Natsu was going to go stir crazy if he stayed in her apartment looking at baby catalogues and trying to cook for her. He needed some space away from the whole situation.

"I know you've gotten super serious about this whole baby thing but it's really early to be thinking about all of this. I'm _okay_ and I think you really need to take a break. You know, Gray's gone a whole _week_ without anyone to kick his ass," She said watching a grin pull at his face.

"You've ended up in a hospital bed twice, Lucy. I don't want you there a third," He wasn't wrong to be concerned. They'd been lucky. Nothing short of it.

"Erza's bringing cakes and we're going to have afternoon tea but we'll probably meet you down at the guild later this evening," She offered reasonably.

Erza was about a foolproof a defense from outside forces as you could get. Lucy looked to Levy, genuinely excited.

"I get to take out my new tea set and all the linens. Oh this is going to be amazing!" She looked to Natsu beaming.

Natsu hesitated, looking between Levy and Lucy before finally acquiescing, leaning down and leaving a kiss on Lucy's cheek that made even Levy's heart flutter with the pure unfiltered tenderness in it. Like he were afraid if he applied too much pressure she'd disappear.

He headed for the door and managed to get a hand on the handle when Lucy called out to him.

"Before you go can you grab the linen table cloths out of the cupboard?"

Natsu went pale, laughing nervously all of a sudden.

"Oh, so that's what those were," He laughed nervously. The sound causing the hairs to prickle worriedly on Lucy's neck Before she could question him further he quickly disappeared out the door with a "see yah later, Luce!"

The Celestial mage's face turned the colour of Erza's hair as she stood, fists shaking, expression pained, stalking her way to the cabinet for her new table cloths. She pulled out the first of the set and screamed. There were singed hand prints on every single one. To make matters worse they'd all been folded a particular way to conceal the burns.

"I'm going to be a single mom," Lucy said quietly to herself. Levy gave her a concerned look. "Cause I'm going to _kill_ him!"

Lucy came back, still clutching her ruined new linens. Levy gave her an apologetic smile, wrapping an arm around her comfortingly as her friend all but wailed about how much they'd cost her. Levy decided the best thing would be a distraction.

"You know, I still haven't forgiven you for not telling me you were having a baby, and with _Natsu,_ Lucy!" Levy laughed as the door downstairs shut loudly, signalling Natsu's hasty departure out of his girlfriends murderous reach.

"Hey!" She snapped defensively. "He's actually pretty nurturing when he _isn_ _'t_ setting fire to everything I own. It just came as a shock, you know," Lucy's eyes narrowed. "And who are we throwing stones about, _Levane?_ Last I checked you've got more skeletons in your closet than bones in the cemetery," Lucy rebuked but there was a smile playing at her lips.

"True. I guess I deserved that," Levy laughed.

When Erza arrived what she carried in could have provided desserts easily for about a dozen people. Pastries, tarts, chocolates. So much that Levy was positive she was going to die from the sugar in her blood stream, because it had assuredly turned to syrup. They ate cake until Lucy actually started to get sick. Not even entirely certain if it was chocolate or baby related. Either way it signalled to them that the tea had come to an end.

As the clock stuck six pm, Titania escorted the happy giggling women down the canal to the guild hall. Where they found a guild in uproar. Not an altogether uncommon sight forbFairy Tail, but still louder than usual.

"PLACE YOUR BETS HERE! PLACE YOUR BETS HERE!" Cana roared over the crowd before spying the trio and sauntering over them.

"So _ladies,_ would you care to place a wager?" She asked.

"And what are we betting on?" Erza asked curiously. She had visions of separating another fight. At least she'd eaten her cake elsewhere. Nothing to get smushed here other than her guildmates' pride.

Cana pointed to a table where a drunk Bickslow was drooping in his seat across from the seamstress who could barely keep her eyes open and was gurgling something between giggling fits.

The table was filled with empty shot glasses that Mira was unhappily refilling. She placed five more in front of the drunk pair and backed away.

"What is this?" Lucy asked. Cana grinned.

"Bickslow called it 'Seith training'. Trust Seith training to involve alcohol. I'm actually not all that surprised," She said with a curt laugh.

They soon saw what she meant as the pair at the table developed an intense focus, as intense as drunks could get, before the woman winced, her eyes shining green and the shots in front of her were downed in quick succession. She coughed and fell back in the chair, groaning.

The purpose of the game was to use magic to force the opponent to drink until they gave up or their stomachs gave out. Bickslow was clearly winning. He was by no means sober but no where near as bad as she was.

"I-I...don't...don't l-like you anymore," She drooled the words. Before burping. People went silent, holding their breath in case she got sick. But the woman simply put her head against the wood and sobbed.

"Awwww, you liked me before, sweetheart?" Bickslow mocked in an overly saccharin tone. Speaking to her as you would a child.

She drove a dagger into the table, rattling the glasses on it.

"Don't..." She hiccupped, her eyes momentarily losing focus. "...don't fucking call me sweetheart," She frowned. "Or I'll cut your fucking balls off."

"How long have they been at this?" Levy asked in wonder.

"About two hours," Cana said smirking appreciatively. "She's way behind, but certainly not giving up without a fight," Cana turned away from them to Lisanna who as it would happen wanted to change her bet to Bickslow. It seemed to be going that way the last twenty minutes or so.

Cana took that as the que and stopped accepting changes to anymore wagers. Sensing the end game.

Bickslow laughed disbelievingly at the threat, no doubt figuring that come morning the woman would be lucky to remember her own name. Mira took moved five more full shot glasses from the few dozen in the center, lining them up in front of them. Ali's head fell back to the table. She'd gone incredibly pale.

"You giving up, sweetpea?" He mocked her, slurring his words.

"Ashta v'heg, su'parro," She growled out making him laugh. Very few people could even identify the language but Levy could.

"What she say?" Lucy queried.

"She called him 'kitten' and told him to eat a cat turd," Levy deadpanned.

Bickslow grinned maniacally and the woman's hands suddenly weren't her own as she downed the next five shot glasses. Mira shook her head. She was a breath away from calling a halt to it. For the safety of certain member's liver.

His opponents eyes rolled back into her head and she fell against the back of the chair. Bickslow stuck out his tongue and laughed.

"Right pay up, Bickslow is our winner..." Cana announced but stopped mid sentence as she watched the Seith mage begin downing the glasses at the center of the table. His face held a look of confused panic as he knocked back glass after glass. The woman wasn't even conscious right now.

He got to nine shots before he turned and threw up.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have a surprise turn around. She didn't quit. She didn't get sick. We have our champion!"

She threw her hands up in the air in exclamation, but behind her both contestants fell out of their seats and onto the floor. Bickslow so he could get sick again and his opponent have completely lost consciousness; the woman now snoring. Laxus tapped Cana on the shoulder and she turned and handed him his earned cash.

Lucy looked shocked.

"You bet _against_ Bickslow?" She stuttered.

Laxus donned a shit eating grin but said no more. Strolling off with his sizeable winnings. He picked up Bickslow under one arm and Alma in the other and headed for the corner setting them down on benches till he was ready to leave. The deal had been if they got shitfaced, they wouldn't be staying at the guild for Mira or Lisanna or Kinana to be clean up after in the morning.

Bickslow groaned miserably. Laxus patting him on the back.

"Not that I'm complaining about the evenings entertainment. But there a good reason you two decided to get absolutely ossified?" He asked him curiously.

Bickslow was sick, but not completely deprived of his senses. He looked at her just to make sure she was genuinely unconscious.

"She doesn't know I know, but the second we let her out of our sights she's going after Calus Sept." Laxus had only heard second hand accounts from Erza about the man, but he could easily see why Bickslow would be worried. The mage had only had trouble with her the first time because her sense of self was in such disarray. Too many independent, conflicting pieces. Too many soul fragments. The same reason Bickslow had trouble. But if nothing else, tonight proved that that was no longer the case. While she might be a little more put together, and Laxus would argue, far more personable, she'd maybe lost the only defense she had against a mage that could force you to do anything he wanted.

"If she finds him, and I don't doubt she could, he'll fucking kill her," He looked to her worriedly. "If she's trouble dealing with _me_ now, then she has literally _no_ chance with him. Zilch. In a straight up fight, she'd probably cut most of us to ribbons, but she's not even _close_ to his level in terms of magic," He leaned back to try and stop his head spinning. _"I_ _'m_ not even close to that level," He whispered. He remembered vividly the threat Calus made to Levy, about giving her to the men under his command to play with. If Ali chased him down now, she'd be lucky if he just killed her. "I saw that thing he calls a soul. I can't let her chase after that prick without some sort of advantage," Bickslow argued.

Laxus smiled deviously.

"Fair enough. It's probably a good idea as well for her to know how to control her magic if she takes any jobs for the guild at some point. Oh, and Bix? Thanks for the tip," He fingered the money in his pocket. Because, of course if Bickslow was going to throw wagers on purpose, someone would be profiting. That wasn't to say she hadn't caught him off guard once or twice, but ultimately, Bickslow had beaten her, and thrown it at the last minute when he was sure she was out.

"Hey, I'll expect my thirty percent cut, sparky!" He jokingly argued. He owed the man a few jewel and he figured this would probably make them square.

Truthfully, Bickslow hoped the evenings events resulted in a two ply reaction from her. Maybe reminding her how weak her magic was at the moment and how easy it was now to possess her, but also the hangover would more than likely cripple her for days. He knew Wendy would probably drag her back to the guild if she tried to leave in that kind of sorry state. Tomorrow was going to be interesting.

Across the guild, Levy and Lucy were stumped. A drinking contest would absolutely be something Natsu and Gajeel would be down for, but they were no where to be found.

"Hey Mira, have you seen Gajeel or Natsu around?" Lucy called out over the sounds of sobbing and laughter as the winners and losers fluttered around the bar drinking in both celebration and commiseration.

She put down her tray and sighed.

"Yeah, those two idiots had a few too many drinks and got into an argument about who could eat the most _pizza,"_ She sounded exasperated in only the way a person could be when confronted by two arguing Dragon Slayers. "Natsu bragged that he almost beat _you_ and Gajeel challenged him to back it up," Mira had neglected to reveal to them just _how_ drunk the two of them had been. And they'd been mighty pissed. They teetered out of the guild very almost missing the doors entirely. She'd never seen two guys drink as much as quickly. Mira was eternally grateful that Lily had remained sober, keeping an eye on both of them as they sauntered off. The pizzeria might not even serve the two them. Who knew where they'd end up then.

 _"Levy!"_ All of a sudden the script mage was faced with a somewhat pink cheeked Jet. It was clear he'd had a few drinks as he looked awkwardly around, checking to see if Gajeel was hovering as he'd taken to lately. "I just wanted to apologise. Me and Droy...well, it just came as a, well... I know you thought you were keeping us safe. You...probably _were,_ looking at everything that's happened since. We shouldn't have treated you like that. It just hurt a bit, not knowing something so important about you. That's all," He stammered sheepishly. He gave her an apologetic smile. "Can we still be friends?"

Levy threw herself at him, wrapping her arms round his neck, crushing him in a hug.

"We never stopped being friends!" She teared up. "You bloody idiot!" She laughed.

Jet pulled back, visibly relieved.

"Levy, we should probably go find our Dragon Slayers," Lucy winked at her smirking. Jet cracked a small sad smile. He knew he could accept her relationship with Gajeel so long as the man made her happy. And it would seem he was doing a better job of it than her supposed oldest friends. He waved the pair off.

A drunk Natsu and Gajeel loose in Magnolia: it was a recipe for catastrophe.

Shops were closing and taverns were filling up as Lucy and Levy walked arm in arm through the narrow cobbled streets toward the pizzeria. It was a pleasant, bright night out and Levy could admit, walking with her best friend out in the open air without fear, without thought, it felt good. She knew that they were close enough to the guild that a fight would attract attention. Coupled with the fact that alone they were vulnerable, but her and Lucy together would not be an easy mark, even for mages. Levy knew that concealed within a closed fist in her other pocket Lucy's keys sat waiting.

When they arrived at the restaurant they could clearly see that out of all the patrons eating pizza the Dragon Slayers weren't among them. As they scanned the tables from outside, Levy spotted one of the waiters she knew leaving, putting on his coat more than likely finishing up his shift.

"Marius? Hey, you didn't happen to see a pair of drunk Dragon Slayers come by, did you?"

The man's tired eyes grew bright for a moment as he chuckled.

"Oh yeah! Man, they were soooo drunk. They got to the door and tried to get through at the same time. Got stuck, then got into an argument. They stumbled off towards the park," He smiled pointing off down the road.

Lucy sighed tiredly as she noticed some blackened brickwork about twenty yards down the road.

"Thanks Marius, I think we can take it from here," Levy politely thanked him.

"So, follow the destruction?" She giggled to Lucy.

"Let's go _hunt_ us some Dragon Slayers," Lucy beamed.

* * *

Notes

Oh, the flu has kicked my ass. Got my flu shot this year...managed to pick up a different strain to everyone else.

Congratulations, Moonbeam, epic fail, right there.

The next two chapters are going to be quite fluffy as well. Simply because, what comes after, well, its not so much. And I need some lighthearted cushioning and character fluff before the messages begin asking me how long my internship in hell was for. You know. My training in absolute evil. Cause I'd say they're coming.

Gods, I think I'm still delirious. Lol

Thank you to the reviewers and all the people messaging me with encouragement and support. Going to do a big thank you in the next chapter or two for you. For the moment I'm just trying to keep myself writing. The urge to crawl into a hole and sleep is hella immense.

On a side note...wow is it difficult to edit when you're sick.


	38. Chapter 37

The trails of destruction and carnage, broken brickwork, stunned bystanders, iron shards and literal pools of lava, led Levy and Lucy to the park, where among the spring daffodils there were several bushes, currently still in flames. The fires had spread only so far before dying in the wet, dewy grass. The warring Dragon Slayers must have been born lucky because it was quiet out and while people on the street had taken notice, no one in their right mind had followed them into the trees to witness the utter decimation that occurred in Magnolia's famous park. That was a situation that both women knew could soon change.

Finding the pair of them and getting them home was now a priority. Maybe if they could, Droy or Laki or one of the other green thumbed mages back at the guild could rectify this utter mayhem.

Lucy pulled out a key, fully intent on dipping it in the pond and summoning Aquarius, but suddenly thought better of it. That might not end terribly well for her. Not to mention she'd yet to reveal the news to her spirits about the new arrival to the family. The others may or may not notice, but Aquarius had known her the longest and would recognise the growing bump almost immediately.

"Think I'm going to leave this to you, Levy," She held up her hands laughing in surrender, stepping back with a smile.

The script mage's conjured water struck the fire, dousing the flames and filling the air with smoke and ash. Levy coughed a little, frowning as the ash and soot stained her clothes. Leaving dark, dirty marks where it touched her. She threw a suspicious glare Lucy's way. She'd stepped back almost knowing what would happen. Then again. She was dating Magnolia's biggest pyromaniac after all.

Without the roar of the fire they heard the snores.

"You have _got_ to be kidding me..." Lucy muttered under her breath, footsteps pounding the earth as she stomped through what was left of the undergrowth and grass. Levy followed closely behind, covering her mouth with her hands, hiding the laughter.

Both Gajeel and Natsu were lying about twenty yards away, asleep in the grass. It looked like they'd actually lost consciousness mid-fight. The area of the park they'd been dueling in was an absolute mess. Beyond carnage. Uprooted trees, upturned earth, smouldering wood _everywhere._

Lucy checked the Dragon Slayers. She knew from experience not to get too close so she rolled Natsu onto his back with her foot. They were both absolutely fine. They didn't even look injured. It wouldn't shock her to consider that the pair had gotten so drunk they hadn't even managed to land a blow in their fight. It seemed like the park was the main victim in all this.

When Natsu didn't respond to being moved by her foot she slapped him in the face; finally confident that he wouldn't be accidentally punching her in his sleep. There wasn't a peep out of either of them, they were well and truly out of it.

Levy was perplexed though.

"Lily should have been with them," She scanned the area but couldn't see a trace of him. He certainly wouldn't have let them destroy half the park like they had.

"Did the waiter..." Lucy huffed as she dragged Natsu along. "...mention him at all?" She set the smaller of the Dragon Slayers at the base of a nearby tree, propping his drunk self in an upright position. When she'd finished seating him she began to do the same with Gajeel. Suddenly cursing. "Your future husband weighs a literal ton. How does he not crush you in bed?" Lucy grunted with the effort, grabbing both of his wrists and hauling with all her might. She put her entire body behind it but was only able to move him inches at a time. When she finally made it to Natsu she was sweating and her back ached something dreadful.

"Very carefully," Levy blushed before turning, wide-eyed. "Who said anything about marriage?" She demanded.

Lucy winked at her but didn't say anything more, sitting down in the grass rubbing her stomach and apologising to the fetus growing there for the stress. Meanwhile Levy continued searching for the missing Exceed. It wasn't easy in the darkness. Gajeel may have had excellent night vision but the lack of light hindered her greatly. She traced a rune on the palm of her hand and pictured the Exceed before placing it against the damp grass.

She heard Lucy suck in a breath and she turned sharply to find her staring open mouthed.

"There's _words_ glowing on your skin," She said, stupefied. They'd all seen the faint pale scaring but few knew how the words burned brightly whenever she used her magic. Had been since she'd faced her great grandfather.

"Yeah, no more sneaking missions for me," Levy laughed dryly. It was still a sore spot for her; being permanently marked the way she was. Gajeel though was fascinated with them. Having spent an entire day making sure to kiss every single one. Telling her they were beautiful. Even the memory made her heat up.

The rune moved from her skin and began winding a path along the grass where Levy trailed it. She scratched at the irritating tingle it left on her skin, wincing at the sensation. Her nails brought no relief. She tore at the spot so much it hurt. Huffing in frustration she focused on finding Lily instead. The rune moved behind an overturned tree and settled under a semi conscious Lily pulsing brighter. It was a handy spell to have, although she mostly used it to locate books she'd misplaced.

Levy crouched low over the Exceed and poked him in the arm.

"Lily? _Lily?"_ She whispered to him. He stirred, moving his head back and forth. "Are you okay? What happened?"

"There was a tree, and it was flying. I...I think I may have gotten hit with it," Lily muttered, glumly.

Levy gave him a gentle smile.

"I think you're concussed," She grinned broadly at the absurdity of it all, gathering him up and carrying him back to Lucy who was presently prodding Natsu with a stick in the hopes of rousing him. A long thin string of drool slipped out of the corner of his mouth and dripped into the grass making the blonde turn several shades of green as she fought a battle with nausea.

She pulled out a key and summoned Virgo to her.

"I'm going to need you to carry these two lumps of drunk idiot back to Gajeel's. His and Levy's place is closer," She reasoned.

Levy turned a furious shade of raspberry.

"It's not _our_ place..." She remarked, embarrassed by the notion that people thought they were permanently living together.

"Levy, you've barely seen your apartment back in Fairy Hills in months. Face it. You pined over that asshole for so long, well, now you got 'em. And you can say what you want about Dragon Slayers but I bet Gajeel's built you two a nice little nest and I'm sure he's bending over backwards to make sure you don't want to leave it," She smirked slyly at Levy who guffawed.

"I did not _pine...he's_ not an assho...ughhhh his apartment is _not_ a _nest,"_ She ground out, grumpily.

"Uh-huh. And has he built you a bookcase yet? Offered to help you transfer some of your stash from storage?" Lucy asked tonelessly.

"That was as much for Lily as it was me," Levy did a double take. Lily coughed out a laugh from where she held him. She gave him a warning glare before giving Lucy a suspicious look. "How'd you _know_ he built me a bookcase?"

Lucy turned on her heel as Virgo proceeded ahead. Saying nothing in response, but whistling a tune as she followed. Virgo was dragging both the Dragon Slayers along the ground through the gravel and dirt. Their clothes ripped up and growing dirtier by the moment.

"Would the Princess prefer I carry them?" The spirit asked, realising her error.

"Oh no, the Princess is just fine with you dragging them," When she suggested Natsu go out for some drinks, this was _absolutely_ not what she'd envisioned. And the cost to the guild would not be cheap. They'd done a hell of a lot of damage to the park. Not all quickly fixable either.

"What do you think, Levy? You want Virgo to carry Gajeel?" Levy was about to say yes when Lily interrupted her.

" _Absolutely not._ And I'd consider it a personal favour if we detoured through those stinging nettle bushes, as well," He exclaimed. They could clearly see the lump forming on his skull underneath all the fur. He'd only had his leg brace taken off a day before and now he was going to need to go to Wendy again.

Levy chuckled and shrugged. Virgo seemed chipper.

"Do I get a punishment, too, Princess?" She asked, hopefully.

"You do need to carry them though the nettles as well, you know," Lucy said in disbelief that the detail would slip the spirit's mind.

Virgo squealed with delight and started power walking to the nearest nettle bush she could find. Cheerfully dancing through the stinging plants.

When Gajeel and Natsu woke up, they'd be pulling twigs and nettles out of their buttcracks for a week.

* * *

Bickslow woke up on an armchair, his head felt like freshly churned butter. Clotted and thick. There was the taste of stale vomit in the back of his scorched throat and his skull felt at least two sizes too small for his brain. It was a familiar sensation at this point.

A mug of coffee passed in front of his nose and bleary eyed he snatched it from the air. He looked up to a very smug expression.

"And I bet you thought you were being clever?" Alma drawled.

Mira had put together some regular clothes the woman's size and seeing her in jeans and a tank top looked so strange Bickslow couldn't help but pause looking at the sight. She'd chosen to keep the nose ring and the hair, but for a moment she looked just like everyone else.

What was stranger was the fact that she didn't even seem remotely hungover. A concept he found unequivocally distressing. Especially considering the fact he hadn't been even remotely as drunk as her. It was difficult to believe she was Human at all.

"Turns out it's not just wounds I can treat," She gave him a sardonic smile. Leaning back against the wall. "You probably figured you'd get me so drunk I'd forget my own name?"

Bickslow winced. She was being louder than she had to. He was entirely convinced it was deliberate.

"Yeah, well, was worth a shot. So what now? You pack up, disappear off after Calus?" His tone was more biting than intended. She didn't seem to notice or care.

"I figured I'd stay in town, actually," Bickslow sat up too suddenly and his stomach heaved. He barely held it back. Freed would have had him killed if he got sick on his freshly waxed floors.

"Yeah?" He asked, dubiously.

"There's someone's blood he'll need, even if he gets the key. And that someone lives here, in Magnolia," She said carefully.

Bickslow wasn't sure what he was expecting to feel knowing that, but, strangely it wasn't relief. She was hanging around because she knew eventually any interested parties would turn up looking for a pint or two of Levy's blood. Why go chasing them when they all knew where they'd eventually end up?

"Is that so?" He asked. His mood cooling.

"Yes. So get up and get dressed. I'm hungry and the big one cleaned out your fridge first thing this morning," She said walking off. Even the thought of food made his stomach revolt again.

"Hey! Wait! Why do _I_ have to go with you?" He yelled after her as his brain caught up to what she'd just said.

When he realised that that was the last of the coffee too, and the Laxus had indeed cleaned out the fridge at stupid o'clock that morning, he decided that caffeine was more important than holding out. He showered quickly and managed to put on a T-shirt and jeans without succumbing to vertigo.

It was hellishly bright out but he was glad he'd gone with her. Town was in absolute uproar. People were milling around the square, everyone talking about the fact that a portion of the park had spontaneously caught fire and was cordoned off from the public. Bickslow saw Natsu's handiwork in every inch of scorched ground. Dragon Slayers. They were all trouble.

It wasn't far to the square, but while he'd suspected as much he hadn't realized just how badly Alma did with crowds. Taking severe exception with being touched or being in close proximity with others. Even his presence at her side made her anxious, as the thick horde meant walking almost flush with her or risk losing her on the busy streets. She was tense. Using his magic he saw her dim colours swirling with nothing short of panic inducing terror. Things he naturally took as casual and innocent, an accidental brush of someone's shoulder for instance, was enough to cause a volatile reaction. The guy that bumped her a little too hard found himself on his ass in the fountain in the main square. To both his horror and amusement she didn't even break stride to apologise. She barely even acknowledged what she'd done. Bickslow pulling the sodding wet shopper out of the cold water with a rushed apology and an awkward brush down to straighten the man's jacket.

Bickslow was honestly delighted to be able to reach the cafe without any violent assaults. His head was throbbing and it genuinely felt like there were marbles rattling behind his eyes. The sun was too hot and his legs were jelly.

"Could I get a pot of coffee and pancakes?"

The waitress took Bickslow's menu with an easy smile and a flirtatious flutter of her lashes. He caught the look and perked immediately. She was a stunning woman with long legs, bright blue eyes and soft skin. She was immensely attractive. All of a sudden getting dragged out of the house didn't seem quite as bad as he'd originally thought it would be. His charge for the morning took a seat opposite him, her eyes fixed on something to their right across the cafe.

"Whatever you want," The waitress purred. Bickslow leaned in a little more smiling but was interrupted as Alma scoffed, her laughter coming out as a curt snort. She snapped her fingers in front of the waitress rudely. A gesture which honestly infuriated Bickslow. He came from a place where table manners were more than a courtesy. He almost snarled at her.

An eyebrow rose challengingly on her confrontational face at the sound before she fixed the server with a cold look.

"I'll have the same. The fruit bowl, too," She practically threw the menu at the waitress who hurried off, her ears pink, flushed with anger.

"You've the manners of a _pig,"_ Bickslow snapped at her angrily.

She leaned back and looked away from him moodily. Glancing around the cafe and zeroing in on a couple across the room from them. Examining them cautiously. Bickslow glanced over his shoulder to look, realizing they'd been what had grabbed her attention to begin with. He'd frequently seen the married couple there. Sitting in the same seats. They were in almost every second day, too. Regulars. They made a cute looking couple.

"It's rude to stare," He admonished.

She gave him a look that could have melted glass.

"She's hoping she can get through the day without upsetting him," She said, a tremor in her voice. "Her energy is so twisted up she won't even admit to herself that he's wrong to beat her. A part of her thinks she deserves it. She's sitting there terrified of every move, every twitch," Her expression betrayed her revulsion. "I don't care about your stupid etiquette. Call me a pig all you want, at least I seem to be in good company," She snarled.

Bickslow shook his head.

"There's no way you could tell that just by looking at them. They come here all the time. They're a _nice_ couple," He responded. The implication was there. These were _civilised_ people. They said please and thank you. The didn't throw passers by into fountains for imagined slights. When he looked at them he could see that they loved each other. The auras were calm. Easy and practiced.

"You just need to _look closer,"_ She gestured back towards the couple and Bickslow turned. While he was looking away from her she reached out and touched his hand and his vision changed. He saw the couple as she did. Saw the man's energy flaring violently, striking at his wife's. They did indeed love each other but it was a twisted, diseased thing. Controlling. Obsessive. Destructive. His wife smothering under the weight of his fixation with her. Bickslow recognised what she was talking about. The little indicators. The extra vigour he put into carving his eggs made the woman opposite him physically recoil. When he looked at her and smiled, despite her face betraying nothing, Bickslow now saw her entire energy tremble anxiously. His magic wasn't as detailed as all this and it was easy to see when he used it. Alma saw all this with an invisible ease that startled him. When the woman turned to pick up the napkin she'd dropped he realized he could _see_ the scars of long healed bruises on her body, like badly mended tears in the fabric of the woman's very being. Her entire existence pulsed with barely contained _terror,_ buried under the lie she'd somehow convinced herself of _._ Bickslow spared a quick glance around the room and realised he was seeing everything the same way. Pulsing. He glanced at himself though and saw nothing. His magic shielded him, made him difficult to read. His body was still.

But Alma was right. She was absolutely right. He looked back to her and the words he'd been about to say died in his throat before he could utter them. Her energy was resonating uncertainly, and as he watched, he saw her magic drain the effort of showing him too taxing to maintain for long. Their eyes met momentarily and she pulled back her hand quickly and slipped it under the table away from him.

The waitress arrived with their coffees.

"The pancakes will be just another minute," She apologised.

Bickslow was now uncomfortable for a whole host of other reasons. What exactly were you expected to do in a situation like that? It didn't seem very feasible for him to publicly interfere. The magic council imposed strict laws against utilizing magic against non magic wielders. His powers were well known in Magnolia, and visibly easy to spot if you were looking.

"So what the hell do you expect me to do about it?" He said angrily. It wasn't her he was angry with, though. It was himself mostly. Some things he really didn't want to know. This was one of them. He could genuinely do nothing about it. He hated himself a little for that.

"Nothing," She said softly. "It's under control," She gave him a sly, quiet smile, gesturing back. The waitress had just brought the couple their desserts and was pouring them some more coffee when suddenly the woman stood, throwing down her napkin angrily. She picked up her purse and was about to stalk off when like a rabid dog the man's demeanor changed and he reached for her, grabbing her painfully around the wrist. Bickslow could see his grip was hard enough to bruise. His wife's flesh reddening immediately. She tried pulling away from him, demanding he release her but he held firm. Other patrons were now staring openly as the man publicly assaulted her. The waitress grabbed at his arm and he batted her away. She spoke up, about to threaten him with the authorities but she barely finished her sentence before the his wife grabbed her fresh, scalding cup of coffee and threw it in his face. The man relinquished his hold on her to cover his burned skin with his hands. Falling to the ground, screaming while the woman backed away shakily. With not a soul looking his way Bickslow examined the scene with his magic and saw it. A thread. Carried by the very same waitress that had served him. She'd inadvertantly carried the impulse with her to the table, and its intended target. Other patrons were gathering round to assist the woman.

"Some people like a little liquid courage. I'm much more efficient. And I don't _need_ the music to access people. It triggers emotion. Emotion makes people very receptive. I'd imagine they'd _feel_ it otherwise, and I wouldn't think it would be pleasant," She answered his question before he'd asked it.

"Do you see everything like that? All the time?" Truthfully, it was acutely disorienting.

"Yes." She said calmly.

"Is that not exhausting?"

"Sometimes," Was the only response she offered.

"But you don't see me like that?" He asked with a certain amount of curiosity.

"No. You've been shielding yourself," She choked out a laugh. "It's kinda nice not to know."

He magic was indeed much stronger than hers. But what he had in power, she had in subtlety. Versatility. Absolutely impeccable timing. He absently wondered if she'd been rude to the waitress specifically to annoy her. So she could open her up. She'd done exactly the same with councilman Bloom. It was scary how observant she was.

"How can you see the detail? I could barely make out a damn thing," He gave her a dry laugh. Awkwardly trying to change the subject.

"Most of the time I don't need to, but I can if I concentrate," She admitted to basically being blind the majority of the time. You'd never guess with the way she handled a sword.

Their pancakes arrived and the waitress set down Bickslow's plate over a napkin. Her gaze lingering with his for a moment. He slipped it out from underneath to find the word 'dinner tonight?' written in red lipstick. He caught the woman's eye over the expanse and gave her a broad smile. The one Laxus called his panty removing smile. The waitress flushed. Ali laughed at him.

"Little bit of courage goes a long way," She said knowingly. Across the room, town guards had come to take the man from earlier into custody. His face was raw and red. Had the coffee been a little hotter, she'd have done real damage. But as it happened he was just a little pink about the cheeks. Bickslow could see his wife standing straighter. Taller. She was noticeably brighter.

Alma gave Bickslow a knowing smile. As he studied her he watched her aura shrinking, becoming harder and harder to read. While they were seated there she was actively trying to block him and getting better, literally by the minute. He just thought they were having a late breakfast, but she was still training. Still practicing.

"I'm going to take a leak. I wager you've about thirty seconds before your _date_ is back over," She muttered, getting up from the table.

She spoke as bluntly and as directly as a man would and he spared a laugh at that as the waitress did indeed saunter back over. Now knowing her advances were reciprocated.

Bickslow chuckled to himself. He'd found the wingman of all wingmen. He could practically _see_ Laxus weep with jealousy.

* * *

Notes

The flu has broken and I am well on the mend. Amusingly, I decided to transition into the next part of the main story with a little mini story I dreamt up in a fever dream. Next chapter is a Bickslow and Alma centric one about 10000 words long. It's not imperative to the main story but it transitions us back to the next stage where we're going to see what happens when you collectively piss off a group of Dragon Slayers.

So, not required reading.

I just want to spare a moment to thank everyone for their get well messages and support. You guys are amazing! Seriously. I managed to keep down a full meal yesterday. The first full meal I haven't seen twice in about three weeks. Influenza is absolutely no joke.


	39. Chapter 38

Three months passed without incident. No return visits from the Council. No spontaneous attacks from Calus. Levy finally admitted defeat and moved in with Gajeel and Lily permanently. Much to Lucy's knowing laughter and Levy's narrow eyed glaring in response to her persistent teasing. You couldn't say much though. As Lucy paddled around with an ever growing stomach and increasingly more panicky, fire breathing partner.

Ali, surprisingly, took Levy's old apartment, despite Bickslow's assurances that she'd be welcome to stay with the Thunder Legion. She declined. Strongly. Living with others was not a comfort to her. Time and time again she'd prefer solitude over company. There was also the problem with housework. Freed would ask her to participate in one of the scheduled house chores and she'd unceremoniously tell him to go fuck himself. Laxus would laugh, Freed would lose his temper and Bickslow would end up hiding. Who knew what the apartment in Fairy Hills looked like. She was not as welcome a guest in his house as he'd made it appear and it seemed like she knew that.

While Levy took more and more jobs with Gajeel and Lily, Ali filled in with Shadow Gear in her absense. Having her on the team, even temporarily, meant Jet and Droy periodically could take the odd more dangerous job with her there to dirty her hands and terrify the monsters. The pay was substantially better, although the woman attracted unnecessary trouble in a truly breathtaking way. Apprehend some bandits would quickly become apprehend some bandits and their beast master mage and his army of wild animals. She also refused to cut them an ounce of slack when they worked. Jet was surprisingly lazy for a speed mage, and Droy was one of the least assertive person in Fairy Tail. That unfortunately didn't necessarily work for her. And she was something of a bully. A voraciously _loud_ bully. They hadn't realized just how easy they'd had it with Levy until Alma was waking them at four in the morning for missions because she wanted to be back in town _before_ breakfast; her almost daily routine with Bickslow.

But the money was surprisingly good when the job was risky and she wasn't as terrible as they liked to bemoan to Mira. She made sure they got home in one piece. And startlingly enough, no clients tried to run out on the bill with her blocking the door in full, terrifying regalia.

Alma liked her routines. Adhered to them _religiously._ When it came to her free days she could be predicted to the minute. Her time was regimented with almost military precision. Breakfast. Her daily run. Lunch. More training. Dinner. Then she'd disappear back to an empty apartment for the night. She didn't socialize much with the other guild members. She kept her distance.

With anyone other than Bickslow anyway.

"What about her?" Bickslow asked. She made a bored face at him before turning to look at the woman he was sneakily eyeing just outside. Tall, brunette, stunning and currently buying a bouquet of flowers with an enormous balloon that read 'get well soon'. Alma gave her one quick once over and turned back to him with a look of angry disbelief.

"You've slept with at least three different women this week. Are you _really_ that insatiable?" She glowered unhappily.

He paused a moment.

"Yes," He announced with a grin. "Hey, if you don't like it, why do you help?" His tone was teasing but her look turned serious in the face of his casualness. He'd quickly discovered that she could tell him which ones were just after a tumble. The ones who perhaps wanted more than one. Even those that would be looking for anything more than casual sex. Whether any of them would be interested in him before he even asked them.

"I just do it because I'm afraid whatever void you're filling with women, you'll start filling with _food,"_ She cracked a tiny smile. "And then you'd get very fat indeed and your dolls wouldn't be able to carry you anymore," She deadpanned.

"Oh, sweetpea, that's so _harsh!"_ He feigned hurt. "And I work out too much to get fat," He flexed obnoxiously and she shook her head. "But Ali, back to my original question. The _brunette?_ Yay or nay?"

"Don't call me _sweetpea?_ And you know as well as I do that she's married. There's a very visible wedding ring on her finger. I'm not even going to bother with the specifics of why that isn't a good idea. You remember the last married brunette, don't you?" She glared at him, tired and unimpressed. "You need to ween yourself off your attraction to unavailable women. Maybe off women in general. This type of thing just can't be healthy."

"What about men then?" He smiled stupidly at the look of irritation spreading across her features. He could no longer read her. Her aura was shielded. When he looked at her with his magic she appeared exactly as she did without it. Colourless. But her face was very expressive. He wasn't sure if she was aware of just how much it told him when she wasn't trying.

"Can we please just have a regular conversation without you using me to prey on the female population? People will start calling you a manwhore," She didn't seem like she was joking.

"Where I come from men aren't shamed for the numbers of women they bed," He retorted.

"And I know places where _no one_ is shamed for how many they take to bed," She pushed her plate away having seemingly lost her appetite. "Unfortunately, this place is _not_ one of those places. And this isn't a terribly big town," She muttered. "Eventually you're gonna start running into these women again in less pleasurable settings and there are going to be problems."

"Like _what?"_ He asked a little too confrontationally.

"Maybe when you start sleeping with people's girlfriends and wives and they take that out on the rest of your guild mates."

"If those women were happy, they wouldn't stray," He responded sharply. Mood dampened.

"You are _such_ an asshole sometimes." She spat with a copious amount of distain. Alma shook her head, standing abruptly and stalking out of the cafe leaving him with the bill; an occurance that had never happened before. She'd downright fought with him for a week straight for the opportunity to split it evenly. Bickslow was left utterly flabbergasted by her reaction.

He finished his meal quickly and when he returned home he found Laxus guzzling coffee in the kitchen. The dark rings under his eyes indicated another late night running secret jobs for Makarov to who knew where.

"Am I turning into some sort of manwhore, Laxus?" He asked taking a seat opposite.

"Turning _into_ one? Bix, you've been Magnolia's biggest manwhore for loooong time, now," He laughed at him, very nearly choking on his coffee. Bickslow however was looking serious. "Hey, there's nothing wrong with having a little fun. You're pretty much the envy of every guy in Magnolia. They'd kill for a little help from the skirt whisperer," Laxus reminded him.

"If she heard you call her that she'd have you humping street lamps," Bickslow reprimanded him.

"Yeah, _again._ I know. What's up, anyway? Something happen on your _date_?"

Bickslow slouched back in his seat, linking his hands behind his head, exasperated. He didn't bother responding to the comment about it being a date. Laxus knew better but loved teasing him about it anyway.

"Man, I don't even know what happened. One minute I'm asking her about this chick at the florist, the next she's stalking off," in the few months that they'd been friends she'd landed him maybe twenty individual women. Why she'd gone off like she had now of all times made absolutely no sense to him.

"Bickslow, my friend, you know I love you like a brother, but you are a fucking _idiot,"_ He grinned at him, before standing and walking off.

Bickslow practically growled at him in frustration. Laxus was now the second person to walk away from him today. He knew what the man was trying to say, after all, he wasn't a fool, but he also didn't believe she'd go out with him time and time again just to help him pick up other women if she had any interest in him herself. The only conclusion was that he'd said or done something to piss her off. He wasn't even sure if the woman even liked _men._

The next day at their particular cafe, he sat alone, when she wasn't out on a job they usually met around ten am, always sitting in the same place. He gave her about a half an hour while he nursed his coffee, just to see if maybe she was simply running late. It was clear after that that she wasn't coming and Bickslow felt a stone hit the bottom of his stomach. The first time he'd ever been stood up before and it stung something _fierce._ With a sudden air of misery, he ordered his food and sat unhappily watching the passers by.

"Your _girlfriend_ not with you today?" The waitress asked, setting down his waffles. His throat went momentarily dry for a second.

"Oh, she's not my girlfriend," Bickslow said somewhat hurriedly.

"Oh, don't fret. It's okay. I'm just teasing you. You're quite the ladies man from what I hear," She flashed him an amorous smile and suddenly Bickslow felt ill at the thought of more casual sex. He really _was_ getting a reputation. And in much the same way he'd been chasing women, women now saw him as nothing more than an easy lay themselves.

He knew then why Ali was angry with him. She was feeling used. Undervalued. She found it difficult to interact with people. Friendships with her were hard won and difficult to maintain. He was meant to be her friend but he'd twisted that friendship to something that benefitted him. A person could have only drawn the conclusion that he'd befriended her for her unusual talants and nothing more. For the first time in a long while, he genuinely considered that he might have some unresolved issues he was trying to avoid with sex. He ran a hand through his hair tiredly. Gods, she deserved better, even worse was he'd made her complicit in it. What the fuck was wrong with him?

"Shit!" He muttered out loud. Suddenly coming to the startling realisation that he was an actual, bone fide asshole. That and a truly terrible friend. He left his waffles uneaten with enough money to cover the bill and hurried out.

It wasn't difficult to find her. Her routines were predictable. The same for her running route. She rarely deviated from her chosen path around Magnolia.

Bickslow had his totums fly him up into the hills and like clockwork he found her jogging the mountain trail, fully clad in armour and weapons, helmet included. The darkened, hollow bird eyes of her mask were terrifying, and seemed to convey her mood better than any words could express. The way she dug her feet into the gravel told him just how angry she was; driving her over the uneven, sloped terrain like she was in jogging gear and not a hundred pounds of steel and bronze. A sight that always shocked him. He'd felt the weight of her armour. It would have been like running while wearing a carriage. But it didn't hinder her. She moved in it like she'd been born to it. In a lot of ways, she had.

As he neared her he saw something he'd never seen before in the times he'd been convinced to join her on her run; he saw her slip. Her foot sliding a little too much in the dirt and the weight of her armour sending her toppling. He paused, giving her a moment to recover. She didn't like to appear vulnerable, not even to him. He watched her cast off her helmet and hurl it into the trees. Her face was red and her breathing laboured. She beat the ground with her fists and screamed aloud her frustrations.

Bickslow thought better of interrupting her and turned around to leave, but his plan was ruined when one of his dolls chose that time to start chanting "Alma, Alma, Alma, Alma". He covered his face, embarrassed to even call himself a Seith mage at all.

She looked up at him sharply. Standing and brushing herself off.

"What can I do for you?" She deadpanned. Her expression all business. She shifted nervously. Uncertain how much he'd seen.

"I came to apologise for being a shitty friend. I didn't want you to think I was only hanging round out of some desire to beat the world record for most women slept with," He cracked a smile hoping she found some levity in it.

She sighed.

"That's not even a record you _could_ beat," She looked toward the treeline, searching for her helmet. Grunting when she couldn't see it in the bushes. "I'm just worried that you use sex as a means to distract yourself from whatever bothers you. And that I've been facilitating it. I really couldn't give a flying fuck how many women you sleep with," Her eyes brightened although her tone remained frosty. He had no idea how to interpret that so he laughed instead.

"Is that a challenge?" He had the audacity to wink at her and it earned him a snort of a laugh. He bypassed most of the consequential points and focused on the trivial. Leading the conversation away from whatever serious ground she'd broached.

"Four thousand women," She wheezed out with a relenting sigh. He gave her a blank look. "He'd a harem of over _four thousand women._ He also died of a rare and incurable disease of the genitals," She let a grin slip. "It's not a life goal I'd recommend. He died unmarried, without an official heir. They had to cut his dick off for the funeral, the thing smelled so bad. Let that sink in," She warned him, his pallor suddenly a lot whiter than before.

She didn't say anything more, her expression was expectant.

He frowned.

"What?" He asked.

"I'm not sure this even counts as a proper apology. You didn't prostrate yourself and there wasn't anywhere near enough begging. In Atla, an apology isn't sincere unless you bleed for it," She laughed at the bewildered face he made. Her expression seemed more jovial and he felt some manner of relief knowing that her mood had lifted somewhat.

He didn't know where it came from but he found himself asking anyway.

"Hey, I've a quick job to do in a nice little town a few hours away. Interested in tagging along?" He asked.

She laughed at him then.

"You give me a bloodless apology and then ask for a _favour?"_ She gave him a disbelieving look but Bickslow knew that she couldn't resist his charms.

"It's _not_ a favour. It's a nice trip I end up making once a year to a sweet old lady with mental health issues. I figured you might like to get out of town for a little bit. Besides, we're _ghost hunting,_ " He put his hands up either side of his face and wiggled his fingers for comedic effect. "I can check for any lost souls but the job is bull, and short of bringing a mind reader, I figured you're the next best thing. You might be able to tell me why I'm out there so much" He offered.

Old Sally petitioned him to go out and take a look at the old ruins on her property at least once a year. Bickslow had been out a few times already and had never been able to find anything. But the woman persisted, and he had no idea why. While the official job was rubbish, he'd his own agenda. Alma might be able to tell him why she kept calling them back.

"Okay. But I swear if we arrive at the destination and there are any unusually attractive, equally unavailable women I will put your testicles on a spike outside the guild hall," She pointed at him accusingly.

"There you go, back to your regular, cheery, mutilating self," He outstretched his hand and two of his totems dropped her recovered helmet into his waiting palm. The weight of the thing was incredible. And he wore a lot of heavy protections himself.

"You should probably maybe think of getting this updated to something light enough for a..." He caught himself before he said woman. But not fast enough for her to miss his meaning.

"That's _fantastic_ advice. I'll need to run it passed my armourer, though. And Erza was only saying the other day she thought it felt a bit light," She drawled, sarcasm dripping with every word.

Bickslow tossed it to her, holding up his hands in surrender.

"No offense intended. Just not ideal to be racing up mountains in full armour you don't even wear anymore."

"It has its uses. One of which is to prevent me going too soft. You'd have me lounging in bed all day, eating pancakes," She laughed sliding the helmet back on and turning toward the slope back to town.

The dolls floating around his head spun and fluttered excitedly before picking up the new chant of "naked, naked, naked" to his red-faced horror. He glanced at her back, checking to see if she'd heard that but she was already most of the way back down the hill.

"You guys are gonna get me killed," He mumbled.

* * *

After an entire afternoon of obsessive consideration Bickslow decided to leave behind his totems for the trip. Placing their souls in their protective jars for security. He had a filthy mind and them hearing about a woman in bed and following it up with 'naked' might be more coincidence than anything to do with Alma at all, but stuff like that was going to make for a very awkward trip. She was his friend and he wasn't about to let that get twisted up by his own dolls and their stupid filthy chatter.

They met for breakfast as usual the next day before heading to the train station. It was pretty full for the most part of the short two hour trip and he could see her twitch anxiously as people got on and off. It had been tough to convince her to leave her armour behind. Despite the heat she wore a long sleeved, insulated top with a high neck. He wasn't sure if it was because she felt the cold more than most or she felt the need to cover up her scars in public. The tails of the whip marks could be seen creeping over the tops of her arms; the scar on her throat made her very noticeable.

Covered in layers she looked small and vulnerable crushed up against the window by the other passengers. She was visibly stressed, and that was before what seemed like the entire occupants of a small town boarded the train. They pushed onto it, forcing the already close quarters beyond what even he was willing to tolerate. Suddenly she went from being tightly cornered to being painfully flattened against the window. He wasn't in any better a situation himself; a man the size of Laxus had him pinned between the glass and a large muscular, sweaty back. Bickslow didn't know where to look, forget about where to put his hands, so he kept still and watched her mutter to herself trying to distract from the discomfort of it all. It was hot and people were arguing over space and seats. Fighting for room. She kept repeating her mantra until something seemed to snap in the collective mood and all of a sudden, people were shouting and shoving. Something collided with the man to her right and she slammed into the glass. Hard enough that Bickslow heard a crack from the window pane. Then she closed her eyes and started to sing.

It was the part of her magic she utilized the least. It made it easier to influence people, it changed hearts, he knew, but at the same time she had an aversion to it he'd never asked about. She was willing to practice and train with the rest. But not her voice.

When she sang it was like nails raking down his back. Goosebumps. He could feel it thrum through him. The people on the train were suddenly staring at her and he could understand why. It was a voice that didn't seem like it belonged to a person, resonating instead like chimes made of steel swords. Notes both beautiful and haunting. Such unimaginable sadness. Loneliness. There were no words to the melody but it conveyed meaning without them. The hot, angry people crammed like sardines on the train stopped fighting. Stopped talking. No longer even moving.

He dug his nails into the palm of his hand hard enough to draw blood, the pain helping him shake his mind free of her magic. She sang until the train pulled into the next town, a popular shopping destination, and the majority of people crammed on, stampeded off somewhat dazed and confused.

Bickslow let out a breath, suddenly relieved to no longer be pinned with the smell of sweat and body odor. He moved just in time to catch her fall.

"Up we go," He sat her in an empty seat and checked her over. Dehydrated. A small bump to her head. Nothing major. Again, magical depletion. No amount of training or practice could increase it. If she'd even a little more magical stamina she'd be a shoe in for s-class. But it was always the same.

Although he could admit, twenty minutes holding at least fifty people in thrall was one hell of a feat for her. It was a feat for any mage.

"Next stop is us," She barely responded, only groaning inaudibly. He tapped her cheek. "Come on, don't make me carry you off this train bridal style. I swear I _will_ stop for photos and make up some stupid cute story about you wearing yourself out saving kittens or something equally ridiculous.," She started to stir.

"Don't...don't you fucking _dare,"_ She grumbled hoarsely.

He tipped some water into her mouth and she heaved a tired sigh.

"Please tell me we're almost there," She pleaded with him.

"Yep, five minutes at most," He offered her a hand helping her stand and steadying her as the train bounced around. "We'll have a few hours before nightfall so you can rest if you need it. The _ghosts_ only come out at night, or so the old crone says," He explained. "So we've got time."

She recovered herself enough to walk toward the nearest carriage exit. Bickslow following close behind. They both breathed a sigh of relief when they hit the open air.

Old Sally's haunted farm was almost a tourist attraction at this point. People would come to the town and go out in groups to visit the ruins on her land. Their patronage more than likely the old woman's only remaining source of income.

A short buggy ride and a twenty minute hike down an old path put you on the borders of her land. It was several hectares of over grown shrubbery boxed in by a low stone wall. She'd lost most of her family to a heinous fire a decade ago, the ruined remains of the old home still standing not fifty feet from the newer built farmhouse where she lived.

"Bickslow! Welcome back!" The old woman crept along, appearing like magic out of the long grass, hunched over an old cane. She paused to examine him. "I was expecting to see a wedding ring after the last time you visited?" She asked and Bickslow found himself scratching the back of his head awkwardly trying to avoid the subject.

"Oh, eh, no," He stuttered. "This is Alma, by the way, she's a member of my guild," He introduced the old woman haphazardly changing the subject. He waited for her to extend her hand to shake Ali's, mentally preparing for the speech about her not liking to be touched, but the woman decided against even acknowledging her presence at all after a moment's deliberation. Looking straight through the stunned, wide-eyed mage. The old woman turned away from them and caught Bickslow by the elbow, smiling wide and leading him toward the house. He glanced back at a somewhat horrified looking Alma who'd gone white as a sheet and was frozen to the spot. He gave her a questioning glare.

"So, Sally, what is it this time? Something moving your furniture again? Turning your milk sour in the fridge?"

Those happened to be the last two times he'd been called out here with Freed in tow. Equally ridiculous reasons. His green haired friend was utterly convinced the woman was just lonely. He may have been right.

When Alma came to her senses she raced after them up the path, only slowing when they reached the old gutted ruins of the last house. She veered off toward it several steps before stopping and backtracking, running behind him. The old woman almost closed the door on her. He looked at her deeply confused.

She returned the look with an expression of almost pure panic that concerned him greatly. She was freaking out. She never freaked out. She'd crawled her way out of a well of literal nightmares. She didn't scare easily. Something inside encouraged him to be calm but the look in her eyes was a source of anxiety he couldn't shake.

The old woman led them further into the house and left them in the sitting room to go make some tea. When she was out of sight Ali grabbed him by the arm and pulled him off to the side.

"Are you fucking _blind?"_ She kept her voice low glancing around nervously. "Snap out of it!" It was clear from his confusion he'd no idea what she was talking about. She grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him down to her. "Don't eat or drink anything. _Don't_ let it touch you again," She rasped, her voice rising in pitch. "When I tell you to run. You need to _run,"_ She turned away from him and began muttering to herself.

He was about to ask her what the hell she was going on about but the rattle of a cutlery interrupted them.

The woman came in with a tray of biscuits and some cups. Bickslow had been here a handful of times before. Never with any problems. He gave Alma a dubious look. She was acting legitimately crazy.

"Be back in a tick," The old lady set down the tray and headed back to the kitchen for the rest.

"You need to think. Where did you get this job? Who gave it to you? How did you know to come out here?" He blinked. It was a job on the board...Or was it a letter. No...Mira must have said it to him. He suddenly realized he had no idea. The more he thought about it, the less it made sense. He couldn't remember.

"I don't...know," He stammered. She gave him a pitying look.

"I'm going to need you to trust me," She moved her hands up, lining them on either sides of his face, holding them just away from the skin. "Don't move, and whatever you do, don't scream. This is going to hurt, but if it thinks you've caught on before I can take it out, you're dead. Do you understand me?"

He nodded, uncertain he could vocalize anything else without losing himself to the dozens of questions rattling around in his head.

She pinned his face between her hands and he felt the warmth of her skin on his cheeks. Her palms were hard and calloused but she held him gently between them. Her eyes focused on his and something passed over them. He took a deep breath and made the conscious decision to drop his protections and let her continue. He trusted her enough to do that, at least. He felt slivers of something move through him. Light and faint and gently probing. They were careful and considered and then he felt them touch it. Something buried inside himself. Something tiny. Dormant. A little piece of something horrid that he didn't remember being there before. He felt it move and there was a distinct sense of panic. She shushed him, he needed to be calm. He grit his teeth and held his breath.

Her threads found it, lancing whatever it was and pulling it out of him. He very almost shrieked, biting his tongue at the shock of it. It was agony. Not simply physical, he felt his soul thrash against it. All consuming. From his toes to the hairs on his head there was a white hot pain. He sucked in a raspy breath as the sensation passed. The entire thing over within a moment, leaving him feeling weak. Bickslow realized that he'd closed his eyes only when he opened them again. Realised his head was resting in the crux of her shoulder only when he smelled soap and oiled leather. Her hands had wrapped around his neck. Holding him steady. She was an anchor and it was with great difficulty that he forced himself to pull away. When he staggered back he very almost screamed a second time.

They weren't in a house, they were in a barn. Where he'd been standing beside a tray of biscuits and tea, on a table between old worn couches, there was a blocky, wooden cutting table stained red with dried blood. The sofas were stinking bales of mouldy hay. The afternoon tea was in fact a stone tablet covered in insects and dead mice. Maggots crawling all over them. Through the empty sockets of the rodent's eyes. Bickslow felt like being sick.

"Dear? Would you help me in the kitchen?"

He froze. It wasn't the same voice. It was far deeper. It came out more like a growl than anything; somewhere at the back of the barn something was moving. Scraping against the wooden boards. Something big. He looked at Alma and she gave him a smile. Encouraging him to mimic her. He forced the corners of his mouth upwards.

"I-I can't get it all right now. So smile like our lives depend on it and start moving toward the door. _You can't be here_ ," Her voice shook and he saw genuine fear in her. She'd walked into a sword to headbutt someone, pulled it out of her and healed the wound without batting an eye, and she was afraid right now. That terrified him more than anything else.

"What the _fuck_ is going on?" He whispered backing toward the barn door. He watched her place herself between him and whatever was moving on the other side of the stacked hay.

"If we survive I'll tell you," He could hear her grinding her teeth.

"I think I'd prefer to know right now," He hissed.

"You really want to argue with me now? You know," She started, infuriated. Frustrated. "If you weren't so good at walling yourself off I'd have spotted that thing in an _instant,_ and we wouldn't be in this mess," Her voice was an angry whisper.

" _What mess_? I still have no idea what's going on. And like you're one to talk?" He countered. "My magic now classifies you as having as much soul as a _spoon_. How the hell am I meant to know what's going on in there," His voice rose and something growled at the back of the barn.

"If you want to know something, _ask me._ And the fact that it sees me as a soulless construct is only reason I'm not in the same boat as _you!"_ She yelled, her aura cracking through for a moment as her temper flared. A blindingly, blazing azure laced with almost dazzling green. Like the northern lights she suddenly _burned._

Whatever was with them, now saw her for what she was. Alive.

There was a sudden screech and something the size of Elfman burst out of the darkness, shattering wooden beams and toppling the bloody table in the process. The ceiling groaned having lost a crucial support. Alma turned, pushing him toward the door. "There's just one of it and two of us. Now, _run!"_ But his legs wouldn't work.

The creature was covered in dark red, oozing pustules. Long hair like filaments growing from them. Its knees appeared to be bent backwards on feet that looked like deformed hands. A round mouth without lips opened into a spiralling pit of tiny needle like teeth. The eyes were pits of black moving liquid. It had no arms to speak of, instead, enormous, clawed fingers seemed to protrude from its sides like spider legs.

Bickslow stood rooted to the spot. The memory surfacing of a similar looking creature, bound in a Seith book about ancient monsters. Demons of the spirit. A soul hag. It was far bigger than the drawings made it out to be.

" _Sisssster_?! Why do you keep old Sally from her dinnnnner?" It rattled out. The voice emanating from somewhere other than its face. Bickslow saw Alma visibly stall as it mistakenly took her as something else.

"I have no sisters," Alma darted to the side, reached for a pitchfork and threw it, spearing the creature in the chest. The prongs digging in deep enough that the hag fell to the side, shrieking and roaring. Dark blood pouring out.

"Don't wear your armour, he said. Don't bring your swords, you won't need them, he said," She ranted, racing back to him and driving an open palm into his chest knocking him backward to the ground, as something long and thin whipped out, reaching for him. It looked like a cross between a tongue and a spear.

He still felt weak, almost paralysed. The tendril that had extended for him was jagged and sharp and though she moved her head to the side when she pushed him back, it still clipped her face, opening a deep bleeding wound that drowned her in red. He fell onto his back, ribs bruised from the hit. He barely had a moment to try and recover before she reached down and grabbed him by the shirt, hauling him to his feet and pushing him back again, trying to get as much distance from the barn as they could.

He was a member of the Thunder Legion. He'd wiped out entire dark guilds singlehandedly. But right now, he was standing there like some kind of bystander while every thought in his head was telling him to _mince_ this abomination. His foggy brain slowly came to the conclusion that he was under something else's control. He wanted to laugh at that but even that seemed just beyond him.

Whatever she'd pulled from him to wake him up, she admitted not getting all of it, so he concentrated on finding the remaining pieces himself and walling them off but it was incredibly difficult. Self reflection was a skill he didn't have in great abundance. Seith magic was a more outwardly directed set of skills. Clumsily he staggered backward as she continued to drag and push and beat him away from the barn; his body complying as though he were a stiff doll.

The entire front of the dilapidated building burst open in a shower of broken wood and nails. The creature tumbled out into the grass a mass of furiously flailing limbs as they structure collapsed behind it.. Ali wobbled on her feet. Weakening from the exertion. They made quiet the pair. If Erza were here this thing would have been nothing more than strips of meat in seconds. Monster slaying was a particular specialty of hers. As it was, all that it was facing was a Seith mage it already half controlled and a swordswoman with no swords, who'd already pretty much spent all her energy calming angry shoppers on a train.

To his absolute horror, the thing was no longer searching for him, it was looking for her. Blood still wet in its mouth. He realized with trepidation that it would probably do worse to her than it had to him. Alma was better at organizing memory. They were more detailed. It wouldn't be able to trick her the same way as him. It would devour her on the spot. Soul Hag's fed on strong individuals. Chipping away at the spirit before finally taking the rest. They could manipulate the mind. Cast convincing illusions. Falsify memory. The legends went that Seith magic had been developed by studying them. Whether that could be believed or not.

The memories of the last few times Bickslow had been up here were more than likely fake. Did he pick up an official job at the guild or was he summoned? He didn't bring his dolls with him, but he'd asked _her_ to come. It wasn't possible right now for him to figure out if that had been a subconscious cry for help or if she was meant to be dessert after the Hag had finished her main meal.

They generally took decades to kill their chosen targets. Slowly taking them piece by piece. How much of him had she already stolen?

Ali turned, pushing him again and he watched with alarm as its sharp tongue pierced through her chest, ripping through her top and showering him in blood and gore; the barbed end expanding like an anchor, catching in her flesh. Time seemed to stall as she frantically clawed at it with her fingernails but she couldn't free herself. When the Hag pulled back she was ripped from her feet. Its laughter was a sound that would haunt Bickslow till the day he died; the creature making a show of slowly dragging the screaming woman back through the grass and dirt, back toward a waiting, salivating mouth while he stood motionless to help.

Something broke in Bickslow at the sight of the blood on his hands, and instead of the spoonfed fear it had been paralysing him with, a white hot rage seared through him. He moved, finally managed a step forward, and the more he moved the easier it became. His eyes glowed brightly and the thing stopped moving, casting Alma to the side into some longer grass as it fixated on him again. Suddenly aware that he was now a threat once more. He focused on it, taking a page from Alma's magic and driving all the fear and anger back along the connection that still lingered. With a single thought he willed it _pain._ The tables well and truly turned, it began screaming, and the more it did the more he pushed. Every ounce of fear and anger, of horror, he choked it with.

Finally it had enough, and it started tearing at its own flesh trying desperately to physically cleave him out; clawed fingers the size of swords ripping into its own body, pulling out chunks of skin and organs. He watched Ali stand slowly in the grass. Looking like hell. Watched as she screamed at it; dark thick cords moving in place of her usual threads. Vines that shredded its mind, magic, its very existence on contact. Between their combined assault the Hag lost all ability to resist.

The sound of it shrieking filled the night air as it rolled in the grass. And then it stopped moving. Its body sizzling. Dissolving into the dirt as the last flickers of life left it.

He watched as Alma fell back into the grass laughing. He just about made it over before falling face first into the dirt beside her.

She turned to look at him and frowned.

"Can't...get the rest out with you blocking again," Her hand was pressed hard into her chest.

"Oh..." Was all he said. He let himself relax and this time when she started pulling foreign parts out there wasn't any pain. It was mostly just relief. Soul Hag's would leave a parasite in their victims. The parasite growing on the very things that would nurture the soul, then leading the victim back so the Hag could have her fill.

Years. At least once every twelves months, for years. He'd had conversations with Freed about Old Sally, but he knew they couldn't have ever really happened either. Freed would have seen through the illusion quicker than Alma had. He could barely work out what was real and what wasn't. His mind felt like it was in shambles.

When he looked over at her, he could see her breathing had turned raspy.

"Are you okay?" He asked. She was too pale for his liking.

She turned her head to him and smiled.

"Good news and bad news," She grinned. He felt himself relax a little at the sight of her smiling.

"Okay, good news first," He asked brightly.

"The good news is that it missed my heart, _and_ my lungs," She sighed. "Breathing _is_ important," The smile was beginning to slip from her face.

"And the bad news?" The adrenaline was dissipating fast and his bruises were starting to twinge. He was so very ready for a hot bath.

She pulled back her palm, the wound on her chest still bleeding heavily. Her hand shook and he gripped it quickly and pressed it back against the wound, pushing down hard. Where he was kneeling in the soil was wet, and he now realized it wasn't wet with water.

With cold clarity he determined that she wasn't able to heal. She'd literally nothing left to heal with.

He pulled himself up straighter and rummaged in the bag he carried at his hip, pulling out a potion. He checked the label and thanked whatever deity was listening it hadn't broken. Uncorking it he pressed it to her lips. She drank it down almost gagging. The concoction very nearly coming back up.

"Please, if that's what's passing as medicine, please, next time just let me _die,"_ She bit out sarcastic laugh, almost choking on the taste of the vile liquid.

"Quit complaining. It's not that bad," He huffed with a short dry laugh.

With the wound on her chest starting to close she found herself breathing easier. He pulled the material aside to check it and paused at the sight of the star shaped, slowly scabbing wound that was now resting there.

"I don't have another of those so try not to move. Wound should be gone in an hour or two," He tilted her head carefully, checking the cut on her cheek. That was closing up too. He lay back down. Realizing miserably that this wasn't even a paying job. He lamented that fact most of all. Ali liked getting paid. They had that in common.

 _"Thank you,"_ He said, pulling her against him. There weren't words enough for the gratitude he was presently feeling. He'd been pulled from a few dodgy situations before, but never anything quite so terrifying.

He could feel her body temperature was dropping with the fading light, lips turning blue. Blood loss was dangerous in the cold and she'd so little resistance to it already. She was suddenly shaking.

"F-for what? I had f-fun," She remarked offhandedly, teeth chattering. He couldn't tell if she was being serious. She was an odd woman.

"You're crazy, you know that?" He stammered, unsure whether he should be laughing or crying right now.

She shivered and he pulled her closer an arm under her back and across her abdomen. He just needed her to hang on until he could safely move her. She tensed momentarily but didn't pull away. She didn't tolerate physical contact. Not hugs. Not handshakes. But she tolerated his. At least this time.

Laxus' words came back to haunt him and he huffed. She snorted amusingly.

"Do those p-potions have side effects?" She asked, sounding groggy.

Bickslow cursed himself. They did indeed. They could be potent sedatives. They also had the habit of getting you pretty high.

"Yeah, sweetpea, I think you're gonna have a strong urge to start talking crap about now," He whispered to her.

"Don't call me _sweetpea,"_ She mumbled. "I'm not _sweet,"_ He could see her eyelids drooping heavily as she struggled to remain awake. "Why are you so warm?" She murmured.

"Cause you're so cold," He chuckled, thinking to himself. "Hey, you said I just had to ask, right?" He began. There were questions and he'd probably not have a better opportunity to ask than now. "Why didn't you heal yourself first?"

She huffed unhappily.

"Death's like going home," The bitter reality of her words very almost didn't even sink in and Bickslow felt something in his chest tighten when they eventually did. She looked at him gravely. "But...I couldn't leave you like... You don't want to end up like me," Her voice trembled. "If I didn't take it out, no one else would have been able to. Had to before I...in case I..." She closed her eyes and he shook her awake.

"Neither of us should be sleeping right now, Ali. Hey, _sweetpea,_ wake up," He smiled when she opened her eyes to elbow him in his bruised ribs. He coughed. "Hey, what's so bad about you?" He asked her, changing the subject back.

She gave him a strange look, like he was truly dense.

 _"Everything,"_ She whispered. Her gaze conflicted.

He was so tired and _raw._ So he lay there while she stared at him, and as he watched her he allowed his magic to colour his vision seeing the blues and greens seep back into her aura. She blinked stupidly. Examining her hand like she'd never seen it before. Her pupils were enormous and he grinned. The woman was well and truly out of it now.

The temperature was continuing to drop and even Bickslow could feel it drawing the strength out of his limbs. When his ass started to go numb he knew it was time to go.

"Okay, we're gonna need to start moving now," He sat up and made it to his feet. He was exceedingly careful picking her up. If the gapping injury on her chest reopened now, she'd be dead before they made it off the farm. Bickslow's legs felt like rubber and he grunted with the effort of stabilizing her. She was much heavier than she initially looked. Not necessarily tall. Really, the woman was only a few inches taller than Levy, but she was all muscle and dense bone.

"Put me down, I can walk," She protested, trying awkwardly to climb down to her feet but he restrained her.

"Like hell am I dragging a corpse back to the guild. You can threaten to cut my balls off all you want but there's no way I'm going to explain to the rest of them how I got you killed. So suck it up, sweetness. This time at least," His tone was scathing.

She laughed at him then, finally settling. Her eyes closing as she started to warm up now that she was out of the cold grass.

Most at Fairy Tail found her personality to be grating but he knew it was a smokescreen. She was vulgar and rude. Violent at times. Selfish. She genuinely didn't care about pissing people off. Couldn't admit when she was wrong. She had an obsession with bone handle weaponry that bordered on the downright disturbing. And she got under his skin more than anyone else he'd ever known. She knew exactly what to say to annoy him. She could have him raging in anger one moment and in stitches laughing the next.

And she'd lay there bleeding to death, choosing to destroy the last fragments of dark magic lingering in him instead of saving her own life. Laughing about it. Lay there dying. Laughing her ass off because death was just an punchline to her. And the only time he'd ever seen her truly afraid was when it had been his life at risk, not her own.

And yet day after day he'd sit with her, eating breakfast and talking and joking with her, asking her her opinions on which women he stood a chance with. She could have sabotaged that. Could have lied. He knew she could have set him up for failure with any number of lunatics as well. But she didn't do those either.

She sat there every time while he had her play matchmaker. Cool. Collected. Her normally expressive face betraying nothing.

How the hell did it take three months for her to call him out for being a complete fucking asshole?

Even worse was that Laxus was right. Bickslow would never be living this down. Not any time soon.

He started walking toward the town. The last train would be leaving at eight and they'd be back at the guild before ten. He'd expected she'd be conscious again before they reached the station, snapping about being carried, because she didn't like feeling helpless. But she was still asleep when he boarded the train with her. The conductor giving him an incredibly dark look as he wandered up the length of the aisles covered in blood carrying a clearly injured, unconscious woman.

The trip back was quiet so he managed to secure a compartment where he set her down, propping his jacket under her head while she slept. An hour in she woke with a strangled gasp bolting up on the seat and toppling to ground as the train rocked.

"How're you feeling?" It was difficult keeping the smile off his face as she clambered to her feet, disoriented. Hair had fallen out of its braid on the top of her head and was sticking out every where. The shortest parts at the front fell down as far as her chest. He hadn't ever seen it out of the braid she wore but he guessed the longest parts must have hit the middle of her back. She was covered in blood, and absolutely filthy.

"Like I was _drugged,"_ She glared at him suspiciously. Licking her dry lips and wiping the sleep from her eyes.

"Hey, you're alive, right?" He grinned cheekily.

She rubbed her shoulder and sat back down facing him. Wincing at the pain it caused her.

"Debatable. I feel like I was flattened," She groaned checking the wound on her chest and making a face. Disdain evident. One more scar she was going to have to hide.

"Well, _skewered."_ He smirked at the look of irritation on her face. Realization seemed to dawn on her.

"Did-did you carry me to the train?" She asked, almost tripping over her words.

"No, you _flew,"_ He laughed at the face she pulled. "Of course I carried you. You were _unconscious,"_ She glared at him, eyes wide and jaw clenched. "Don't worry. If I wanted to cop a feel I'd wait till you were awake and could enjoy it," He jeered.

She glowered, looking indifferent to his mood. But he saw it. As clear as day. Her ears and neck had turned pink. Bickslow sat up straighter. The woman had just actually _blushed._ Disheveled and red faced.

He could scarcely believe his own eyes. She seemed genuinely embarrassed, but there was something else too. Something he couldn't read. There was a sudden need to pinch himself. This was too entertaining not to pursue.

"You know, it's suddenly occurred to me that in all the time you've been helping me land some dates, I never thought to return the favour," The expression on her face was exquisite in just how uncomfortable she immediately seemed. In all their many conversations it had never come up as a subject. _Her_ potential love life.

"I'm not interested in sex with random strangers," She admonished.

"And sex in general?" He asked, acutely excited by the prospect of embarrassing her. She'd been so open in her discussion of his love life, and sex in general, he hadn't thought to question her on her own. Her expression had turned utterly murderous. "I happen to travel in wide circles. I know some women, men and an entire rainbow between that would just _eat_ you up."

There was a wispy choking sound as her own saliva seemed to travel the wrong way into her airways. Small hard fists bit into the leather of the seat as she coughed furiously.

"Why are we discussing this?" She growled out breathlessly and hoarse.

"You said _ask?_ Didn't you?"

"We were almost certainly about to die..and why the hell would you even want to _know?"_ Her voice came out a little higher pitched than normal and he saw her swallow.

"You know pretty much all there is to know about mine. I figure, fair's fair," He said cheekily.

She steeled herself.

"Fine. Yes. I'm interested in it...but...just not with this body," She admitted to him with an air of finality. "Its different being a woman," she averted her eyes momentarily. "I don't have good...It's just not a good idea." Alma began and then trailed off.

He wasn't expecting her honesty. He'd asked but never in his wildest dreams would he have ever expected her to just come out and say it. His intention had been to embarrass her. Tease her. Drag the conversation out and see just how red she could blush. Instead she'd proven him to be every bit the asshole she continually called him. Of course, she would be able to draw on any number of memories of sex. But the vast majority would be from a man's perspective, and Bickslow was doubtful that any she had from a female perspective would be good. His own idiocy stunned him into silence. He couldn't bring himself to even find an ounce of humour in that. It was crushingly depressing.

He knew then she'd taken an interest in his personal life because she lacked the capacity, or drive, to pursue her own. Avoiding physical contact because her memories of it involved pain. Sex for some was a means of control.

He'd bought some water and some sandwiches while she slept and he handed her a bottle.

"I'm sorry. That was pretty insensitive of me," He apologized. He'd struck a nerve however, and there was a rage burning behind her normally calm eyes.

"I don't need your sensitivity. I don't need your apology, either," There was no shielding herself in the face of the anger she felt and Bickslow felt like slapping himself at the burst of raging colour she emitted. She must have noticed him use his magic because she reigned it in almost immediately. "I don't _need_ anything," She suddenly snarled at him and he realized she'd told him similar before. And that it had been a lie then too.

"I don't believe that. You don't want to ask. Maybe you aren't sure how." He sat forward. "I think you're _afraid,"_ The word hung in the air for a terse moment before she bolted up from her seat. He brought his hands up to defend himself but she snapped her fingers around his wrist and twisted it to the side, opening him up and striking him in his bruised ribs with her other palm. He was forced back into the seat painfully, feeling a crack. One of his ribs giving way. She was stupidly strong. It was comical just how easily she could get the upper hand, especially considering her size.

"I have made demons _weep,"_ She said coldly. "I was born in a darkness the living will never know. I'm _not_ afraid," She relaxed her grip and stepped back but he caught her arm stopping her in her tracks.

 _"Everyone's_ afraid of something," He let the words linger. Left them to sink in. "I've _seen_ you afraid. It's not weakness to admit that some things scare you. There's plenty to be afraid of. The dead don't feel pain, but we sure do," The words softened with his grip. He let her arm go but she didn't step back.

"And what are you afraid of?" She asked brokenly.

"That if people knew just how much I could tell about them, what I could make them do, they'd want nothing to do with me," The time for joking was passed. He was awash with a sadness he hadn't felt since he was a child.

She closed her eyes, suddenly ashamed.

"I'm sorry," She sucked in a breath to calm herself. "Your ribs? I think I broke them,"

He sighed.

"Few days and they'll be fine," Bickslow had had worse. Honestly, they would be okay. Not even badly cracked at that. Small price to pay for the privilege of living.

He watched her face grow sombre as she stepped closer to him. She didn't say anything but she did reach out and put her hands on his cheeks like she had at the barn. Moments passed and the aching in his chest started lessoning. His entire body tingled.

Breathing became easier all of a sudden. The pain having completely vanished. He looked up into her eyes, stunned.

"You healed me?" He couldn't keep the surprise out of his voice. "You can heal other people?"

"I can do a lot of things," The corners of her mouth upturned ever so slightly.

Her hands lingered on his face longer than they had to, cupping his cheeks and he felt a fluttering of something new that left his stomach in knots.

It came from no where he could think of, but on impulse he pulled her down and kissed her. A brief chaste thing. She stayed there frozen like a statue. Unmoving. Unresponsive. He pulled back sharply when he felt her tense. Large eyes, wide and confused.

"I'm going to apologise for that before..." She moved like a snake cutting him off mid-sentence. Her lips pressing back against his, hands circling his neck for leverage. The ring in her nose was cold against his skin and while she seemed hesitant to touch him or get closer, the tension he felt from her wasn't reluctance. Instead it seemed to be uncertainty. Nerves. He felt her finally begin to relax into it but the moment was broken as the train lurched and she staggered backward, the compartment jostling.

He looked at her like it was the first time he was truly noticing her. Awkward and vulnerable. Completely unwilling for anyone to see it. Humans by their very nature were contradictory beings. Filled with conflicting feelings and ideas. She was no different.

Avoiding his eyes, she sat back down and tried to straighten herself out. She pulled her hair over her shoulder and busied herself redoing the braid.

"I told you, you need to ween yourself off unavailable women," She halfheartedly reprimanded him.

"Well, when I meet one, I'll bear that in mind," He said quietly.

He watched her smile as she looked out the window.

Bloodied and tattered they wandered off the train in Magnolia to find Laxus waiting for them on the platform. His mood dour.

"You two need to get your bloodied asses out of here," He announced, arms crossed. From behind him Mest teleported in with two more duffle bags that he added to a large stack at Laxus' feet before disappearing again, giving them a pitying look before vanishing into the ether. Laxus rummaged through the pile, picking out two in particular and a dual scabbard with Alma's swords in it. He threw them at his friend.

"Erza and Freed have been packing emergency bags for members out of town. There's two more groups due back tonight," Laxus remarked.

"Why? What the fuck's going on?" Bickslow asked him.

"The Council's officially disbanded Fairy Tail, and it looks like Fiore is going to war," Wide-eyed silence greeted him. "They've gone and issued drafts for any mages they think they can use. You two are on the list," He glanced around him. "You need to leave town. There are instructions on where to meet on a map in the bags," He muttered. He turned around to leave and Bickslow rushed forward and grabbed him.

"And where the fuck are you going?"

"There's a little job us Dragon Slayers gotta do first," He grinned a wide, dangerous smile. A promise of destruction to come..


	40. Chapter 39

They'd arrived in the middle of the day with the news, nailing the notice of disbandment to the guild doors while a handful of members stood from their lunches and gathered outside in horror to read it. Shouting and cursing. Shocked. Distraught. Fairy Tail had been the only place a lot of them had ever called home.

And that was before the list came. With official letters authorizing mandatory drafts for Fairy Tail mages. That was before they knew Fiore was going to war with their largest connected neighbor, the Country of Seven. It wasn't certain if there were any other parties involved, all they knew was that the Magic Council had lost members there, and were now scrambling to set up a defense across Fiore. The missing councilmen now presumed dead.

Lucy had just finished her second helping of ribs and was casually chatting with Levy when everything kicked off. Disbelief and profound sadness at the thought of losing their guild overwhelmed by a white hot anger. They weren't soldiers.

Levy watched them call out names in the main hall and hand out the letters. Droy's face was a grey expressionless mask as he held his. Unread. Unopened. As though as soon as he broke the seal it was a certainty. Pinning the uncollected ones to the noticeboard. Lucy's face fell when hers was announced.

Seven months pregnant, and now boiling with molten rage.

"You can't draft magic users for war. There are laws against it," She announced driving a pointed finger into Mest's chest. The man stood there like a statue. Dark, deep rings stood out around his sleepless looking eyes as he grit his teeth.

"I _know._ They rushed through an amendment last minute. There was nothing I could do," He said brokenly. He knew very well why those laws were in place. You didn't have to be Fiorian to join a Fiorian magic guild. It meant they were usually incredibly diverse places. But that also meant there was a risk of drafting someone to fight their own people. Breaking up families. Mages were generally very loyal to their guilds, but outside of that, it was a recipe for disaster, hurt and ultimately betrayal to start forcing them into service. And dangerous as well, considering the power of some wizards out there. For a mage, enlisting had _always_ been voluntary. Even back when mandatory military service had been common. And it hadn't been common for over three hundred years.

The man at Mest's side grabbed Lucy brazenly by the wrist and slapped a draft letter into her palm while she looked up at him, open mouthed and staring. Confused and ready to explode. Levy snatched it out of her grip before it spontaneously burst into flames.

"She's _pregnant,_ you oaf _?"_ The script mage rasped, in utter shock.

Mest took the paper back and looked sheepish for a moment before turning to glare at the man who'd just handed her her draft letter.

"I'm surrounded by idiots," He whispered under his breath. It was clear he was ashamed to be doing this. Even he knew this was wrong. "I'd expect, undoubtedly, there's an exemption for new and expectant couples," He said out loud.

The man to his side looked to him sharply.

"No exception in this case. Lucy Heartfelia and Natsu Dragneel are on the list and they'll be reporting to the barracks in Broadhall," He said, seeming unsurprised by her condition. Which only told the onlookers that while Mest hadn't a clue, more than likely a detail he'd let slip on account of the greater Countrywide issues, whoever was drawing up these mandates had been informed. They knew she was close to giving birth and they were fine putting her in danger anyway. They'd already briefed the grunts. They knew Mest would take issue with it. They were _expecting_ something might happen.

Mest was a tired and downtrodden man but the realization of just how underhanded, how blatantly wrong things had gotten sparked a fire in him.

"You were told this explicitly?" He turned, grabbing the collar of the man who spoke. Earning a few nervous looks from the soldiers already there.

"Councilman Bloom's orders were specific. He mentioned them by name?" The man seemed uncertain as to why this detail wouldn't have been shared with one of their chief enforcers.

"This is so fucking messed up," He huffed, taking the remaining papers out of the soldier's hands and gesturing for him and the others to leave. "You idiots are going to get us all killed if you start speaking to them like that. Every mage in this room could take your entire battalion down and that's not even the s-class mages," He squared his shoulders and took on a resolute look. "I'll give these out. I want you to report back to Bloom and let him know," He ordered.

"Our mission was clear. We stay to make sure these go out. We arrest any who resist," The soldier argued with him. Mest glared at him and the man blinked stupidly. His eyes glazing over for a moment. Any mage worth their salt could see he'd used his memory magic.

"I'm in command here, and while I am, you follow my orders. Do I make myself clear?"

The soldiers filed out. Once they were gone Mest's shoulders sagged. His posture deflating.

"I need Erza or Laxus, Makarov. Anyone with any kind of authority here," He announced.

 _"Why?_ You going to try arrest them, too?" Levy snapped at him.

 _"No._ They need to authorize an _evacuation._ When they realize I took out the memory telling them to relieve me of command for even _suggesting_ that they leave me here, they'll be back, and I won't be able to help you from the tiny dank cell they'll drop me in," He sounded sincere.

"Why would you help us at all?" Lucy asked, clutching her chest as some barbeque ribs and stress related baby heartburn kicked in. She wanted to be sick right now.

"He's helping because he _is_ one of us," Makarov's voice suddenly broke the ambient noise of the guild hall. Effectively silencing the angry mutters.

Makarov passed through the throngs of nervous looking people. He patted Lucy's hand comfortingly before slapping Mest's bare arm. Slowly at first, the faint outline of the guild symbol started bleeding through. Like ink staining parchment. The Fairy Tail brand visible for everyone to see on his shoulder.

Mest's eyes seemed to focus and unfocus momentarily as his thoughts and memories reordered in his brain. He heaved a sigh, clutching his head painfully. It was one thing to mess with the memories of others, it was something entirely different to mess around with your own. The disorientation of having a whole other life come crashing down over a fabrication, left him reeling. All the conversations with Makarov coming back into his mind.

The realization that at one point he was a spy for Makarov in the council, pretending to be a member of Fairy Tail to spy on _them_ in turn _for_ the council, when he was already a member of Fairy Tail to begin with, did nothing to improve his grasp of reality. He'd certainly had an interesting few years.

"I expect time is important, tell me everything you know," Makarov commanded.

Mest sucked in a shaky breath and started relaying the turn of events that had led them to this.

Across Fiore, groups like this were delivering drafts to every major guild.

It wasn't simply Fairy Tail. As of now, every group in the country including the mercenary guilds, had just received official notice to disband, a bitter pill washed down with notice that they were being ordered to mobilize for war.

* * *

Levy had two duffle bags open and was stuffing them with clothes and essentials. One for her, one for Gajeel. Lily kept an emergency pack for himself, all ready to go in the event they'd to leave suddenly. He was smug for all of about ten seconds before the reality of the situation took hold. He'd left hours ago for the meeting point the guild members were currently making their way to.

Levy panicked trying to find Gajeel's clean underwear. The man took disorganization to whole new levels.

She raced to his old dresser and started pulling out drawers, rifling through the contents searching for them, finally getting up to the top drawer only to find it jammed. Frustration welled up in her and she yanked hard on it with a yell. The compartment broke free with a thunderous crack and exploded out into the middle of the bedroom floor showering her in socks of all things. She stood there, chest heaving and hands shaking as she stared at the mess she'd made, clothes now lay strewn everywhere. An unholy mess...and still no clean boxers.

She held up her shaking hands only to find Gajeel's appear out of no where to hold them. He stepped in close behind her. Pulling her into his arms as the sobs started and finally gave way to a flood of tears. She collapsed against him.

"Shush, it's gonna be fine. The old man is gonna keep us together. Fairy Tail doesn't give up, and if we go down, we go down swingin'," He gave her an easy smile, his words helped calm her. "Right, Lev?"

Fairy Tail was her family. To have someone come in and make the decision to break that up hurt her in ways she couldn't express with words. What right did they have? What power could they claim over the world that they could justify that? Her tears stopped and he turned her to face him, wiping away the moisture with a thumb. Anger started replacing her sadness. She could grieve and be confused later, when they were all back together and not facing prison for desertion.

"Right. No one messes with Fairy Tail!" She affirmed, straightening herself.

Gajeel looked at her resolute expression and grinned. Her glyphs were glowing ever so slightly. He found something immensely attractive about that. The scars she wore were the proof of how much she loved him. Every time he looked at them he saw the expression on her face that day she saved him. Furious and utterly divine. An impossible light in the darkness.

She passed him a bag and grinned a small smile.

"Back on the run again?" She laughed. This was the woman he remembered chasing up a mountain in the snow. Unstoppable. Indestructible.

"Kinda romantic," Gajeel smirked slyly at her.

"Our ideas of romance differ greatly, Gajeel!" She seemed disbelieving. Shaking her head.

"Hey, Shrimp, lot of romantic stuff happened when we were on the run. Candle light dinners. Our first kiss..."

"I opened a door to a place of eternal darkness and freed a monster that's still out there somewhere, stealing bodies and plotting against us," She interrupted him blankly.

 _"Exactly!"_ He laughed. _"Romantic."_

Levy burst into a fit of laughter at his cheeky grin. He always seemed to know how to cheer her up or take her mind off something.

 _"_ I suppose supper by candlelight _was_ pretty romantic. And we _did_ have a secluded getaway in the middle of nowhere," She smiled at him. "When did you turn into such an optimist?"

"Well, there was this annoying little Shrimp..." He began and Levy slapped him in the chest cutting him off. Gajeel growled playfully, picking her up and throwing her over his shoulder. Grabbing both of their bags with his other hand. He grinned, checking Levy's concealment glyph on the back of his hand before sinking into shadow. His partner still perched over his shoulder.

There would be no trains if he could help it. And there wouldn't be anyone tracking his movements. Not this time.

It didn't take long to get to where they were going. Or it did but they weren't really aware of in in the shadows. Time was so subject to perspective there that it was difficult to gauge its passing.

Gajeel was exhausted but in good spirits when they arrived. They'd had to stop twice on route so he could recover his energy but they were some of the first to arrive. It was already dark, the position of the moon told them it must have been around seven or eight o'clock already.

Levy had been here only once. An underground temple left abandoned. Now repurposed for what was shaping up to be a revolution of the Fiorian guilds.

The majority of council members were currently missing and presumed dead. The handful remaining were now under the thumb of Bloom. Who as it would happen, had seemingly lost his mind. He'd seemed a little difficult to read when she'd met him but he hadn't seemed like a bad person. Desperation may have broken him it seemed.

Laxus was already there waiting to direct people around.

"Did we lose anyone?" Gajeel asked him coming out of the darkness. Levy at his side.

"Only managed to leave Magnolia train station a few minutes ago. There's three more teams arriving back there tonight by train, so I won't be staying long. Someone's gonna need to tell them what's going on," He cracked a smile. "Especially since Erza's was involved in a little breaking and entering, packing bags for them," He rubbed his face tiredly. "People will still need to get here as well. They can't all teleport or whatever it is you're using to move around these days," He grinned at Gajeel's knowing look.

"Who's left to tell?" Levy asked. Adjusting the strap of her bag over her shoulder.

"Gray was out with Natsu and Juvia helping evacuate some morons researching at an active volcano, Warren was assisting the local police in Hargeon with a theft and Bickslow and Ali are on some Seith job a few towns over. _Ghost hunting_ , that's what he'd said," Laxus shook his head with a laugh. "We were able to notify almost everyone else."

"Did-did anyone actually go with them?" Levy found her voice shrinking at the thought. There was still the possibility that members would actually report in to the council.

Laxus' face grew serious.

"We won't know for a day or two at least. Even travelling overnight, people won't start arriving till tomorrow," He intoned with a somberly. While they knew the majority of mages wouldn't willingly want to go to war. Patriotism did exist. And no one wanted to be invaded either.

More than most, Laxus also knew that there was something else going on as well. Things were never cosy with their neighbor, but they were amicable. Makarov believed that a third party was driving this war. Giving in at this stage would be playing into it.

"Has Lucy arrived yet?" Levy worried for her friend. Last she knew Carla, Wendy and Happy were flying her and the baby out. Laxus shook his head. Unable to speak without vocalizing his concern. They'd left first, but hadn't arrived yet.

"Lily?" Gajeel asked. Though he could smell the Exceed, he hadn't seen him.

"He's clearing a few passages. It won't be an issue at the moment but when the other guilds start turning up we're gonna need the space," Laxus was grateful for the assistance. He was the first person to arrive and getting everything set up for the rest wasn't going to be easy. Lily was more than willing to get his hands dirty to help out. Again though, he'd left after Wendy and Lucy but arrived hours ago. Even taking into consideration the extra weight slowing them down. They should have arrived by now.

Something rustled in the trees and Laxus and Gajeel snapped around. Out of the treeline Jet burst through in a shower of leaves and beaches. In his arms he carried an unconscious Carla and a struggling Wendy.

On the girls wrists were anti-magic cuffs. A gaping head wound over her right eye. Gajeel knew it would scar. Could tell just by looking at it and having his own varied assortment, that even with Dragon Slayer healing, her innocent face would be marked.

He set them both on the ground and collapsed into the grass. Wendy was stumbling to her feet in moments snarling and pulling at the chains on her wrists. She looked almost feral. Without her magic she wasn't going to be strong enough to break them. She collapsed sobbing.

"It's all my fault. I thought they were hurt. I just wanted to help," Gajeel made a lockpick and got to work on the chains while Levy checked out Wendy's head wound. Carla was still unconscious and from the looks of it, her tail was broken. Levy focused on Wendy, the young Dragon Slayer would more than likely be needed to heal Carla, so she was the priority.

"Carla practically dropped them out of the sky on top of me. No sign of Lucy or Happy," Jet rasped.

Gajeel spared a glance at Carla and looked to Laxus. "Get Lily up here now, Sparky,"

"They told her they'd kill me if she didn't give them her keys," Wendy cried. "They were lying there in the road. I thought they were hurt," She looked down at her bruised wrists. "Why did she give them her keys?"

It wasn't difficult to work out what had happened. A roadside trap. When Wendy tried to help they snapped the cuffs on her. They were only lucky Carla managed to get them away and even more impressively was able to find help. They would never have known what had happened. They'd have lost days wondering.

"An invading army might just want to wait a bit. Cause Natsu is gonna split this Country in _two_ when he finds out," Gajeel growled. It wasn't even a joke.

The cuffs broke off with a clink and Wendy scrambled over to Carla, her hands instantly pulsing with light as she ran them over the unconscious Exceed.

Wendy started crying as Lily emerged up out of the darkness of the tunnels below, Laxus right behind him. Gajeel watched his friend visibly stall. His heartbeat thumping erratically, his breathing losing its rhythm. Eyes wide with a panic he'd never seen him express before.

"Is she?" He whispered, his voice barely audible.

"Her tail..." Wendy sobbed. "It's _healed_ like that."

Gajeel saw Lily visibly deflate with relief that she was alive at least.

Wendy though was almost inconsolably upset. Carla had been researching healing magics. It was possible she'd made some sort of attempt to heal herself. She was bloodied but there were no visible cuts. Her tail shouldn't have had time to heal like it had.

Wendy looked to Gajeel for some manner of support. He in turn looked to Pantherlily; the only one present who knew how the two were related.

"It's okay, kid. We know what you're gonna have to do," Gajeel comforted her.

Lily held Carla still while Wendy put her hands over the segment of tail now bending at an odd angle. The young Dragon Slayer was openly sobbing and when she broke it again Carla bolted awake screaming. The noise pierced everyone like a blade and while Lily still held her down, he kept his eyes closed unable to watch her agonized face. The shriek made Gajeel and Laxus plug their ears but Wendy made herself bear it. She kept her eyes open and fixed on Carla's face. Her jaw clenched tight. Her focus never wavered. Not even for a moment.

Within a few seconds the screaming died down and Carla stopped thrashing, Lily stroking the fur on the bridge of her nose, soothing her as she slipped out of consciousness again.

Wendy buried her face in her bloody, trembling hands.

"Natsu's train is due back in twenty minutes. He's not gonna come back here first, so he'll probably follow her trail straight from Magnolia," Laxus was thinking out loud. "I can get back there in a few minutes but Erza left with Freed, Mira and the old man about an hour ago after shutting up shop," He was willing to face the prospect that he may end up being the only s-class back up when it came to this. He had no doubt that Gray and Juvia would insist on coming along, but the more they had, the greater the chances of succeeding. He wasn't willing to entertain the idea of what type of situation would be waiting for them if Lucy was hurt.

People would die. Of that he was certain .

"No way in hell am I lettin' flamebrain walk into the most obvious trap of the fuckin' century," Gajeel snarled. "No way. If he's going, I'm going."

"I'm going, too," Wendy's voice shook, but it wasn't with fear. Or trepidation. She stood slowly, her hands were tight balls at her sides and Gajeel could see her hair colour, even eyes changing. Felt the early wisps of her Dragonforce charge the air around them. She was young, but she was a Dragon Slayer. And if her current capabilities were anything to go by, she was going to be an incredibly powerful one at that.

"Intentions don't mean squat. Natsu's not going to be waiting around for you to turn up to help," Laxus snapped at them. The instant he broke the new to him, was the instant the man would be taking off.

"I can get us there," Levy said suddenly. Pulling out her light pen and a piece of parchment.

When she started drawing the symbols on the parchment Gajeel recognised it as the same spell she used to transport them from the inn to her home town.

 _"Hey._ You let me bust my ass dragging us here when you can write teleportation spells now?" Gajeel spoke, bristled by the notion.

"I decided it might be worthwhile learning, but I told you before, it only works if you can see the place clearly in your mind and it's dangerous with more than one person. But...I think we can take a risk," Levy looked around at her comrades faces, searching them for any signs of hesitance or disagreement.

Her, Gajeel and Wendy so far were clearly on board.

Laxus looked to Lily expecting him to be the fourth, but Gajeel interrupted that train of thought before it got very far, before Lily would have to defend the choice to remain. Gajeel knew he wouldn't be leaving.

"Lily should stay here with Carla, we'll need someone to help coordinate the rest when they start arrivin'," Gajeel said. Lily looked to his friend, eyes shining with emotion, eternally grateful for the gesture. A consideration he would never forget.

"I'll stay with him to help. I'm running too low to be much use in a fight right now, but there's plenty I can do here," Jet spoke up, giving Levy an understanding smile. He knew she'd be going with Gajeel and the others; why she'd want to go with them.

"Let's go hunt down some council _dogs,"_ Laxus' face mirrored a sneer they'd not seen in a long time. "I plan to remind what's left of the Magic Council what happens when you fuck with Dragon Slayers. Fairy Tail takes care of their own," Laxus cracked his knuckles.

Wendy rubbed her stained hands on her clothes. There was blood everywhere. She stank of it, but more than her own, she could smell Carla's blood there, too. The Exceed's having seeped into her hair and jacket as she'd cradled her. Wendy slipped the coat of her shoulders and tossed it away from herself in disgust. The scent still seemed to linger, a feeling like madness bubbling up inside her as it permeated her very soul. She wanted to scream and shout, to pulverise the stones around her and pull the forest apart. It was rare she felt the Dragon Slayer magic effect her like it did now, but it was only natural that the older she got, the more she would feel it.

She drew some magic into the air and circled her head with her hand, her hair fell to her feet; a current as sharp as a fine blade slicing it and leaving short chin length cut. The smell was less intense now. Not gone, but tolerable. She could understand the others a little better these days. A year ago she wouldn't have been able to rationalize a violent reaction like the one they were expecting from Natsu. But she could feel it herself. In her blood, like fragments of glass cutting her from the inside out with every pump of her heart.

"I don't want to see anyone in pain. I don't want us to be responsible for that, either ..." She looked at their sympathetic faces. Dragon Slayers had a reputation for being reckless. Volatile. Destructive. Wendy had always taken pride in being able to prove their critics wrong. Her magic was healing. She took away pain, not caused it. And while she had the potential to destroy, she liked solving her problems without violence. But today she'd seen the faces of evil. And while many would assume that would be a malevolent sneer, or a cold glare. She knew it was laughter. A disarming smile.

She'd experienced a knife to her throat and watched while they pointed a blade to Lucy's belly, even after she'd complied with their demands. No hesitation in them and she'd known almost instinctively that they'd have gone through with it, too.

There was so much hate in the world. So much anger and pain and suffering. She'd thought she could counter it with positivity. With compassion. But maybe that type of evil should be given no quarter. It was there, only to be cut out. Burned away.

Vaguely she understood that today, those men had taken more than Lucy. They'd sundered more than her family. They'd stolen something irretrievable from her, as well.

She tried to take a steadying breath but her temper seemed to flare again."...but _no one_ hurts Carla and gets away with it."

* * *

Notes

So this story, well, turns out my brain isn't happy to leave things where I intend to end them.

Yes, despite my better judgement, my brain is screaming _spinoff._ So there's that!

Everyone reviewing and following, you guys mean the world to me. And thank you so much for the offer to edit Krisa-p15 but my goal for 2017 is to improve my editing skills lol It also wouldn't be fair on you to be running through half the stuff I'd end up sending you. I would _consume_ your life. Like a literary _vampire. :D_

That's just not fair! That said, if folks spot glaring mistakes, for the love of all, flag them with me.

The flu has well passed and the story progresses. Guild on the run and Dragon Slayers on the warpath.


	41. Chapter 40

When Laxus caught back up with Natsu and the others they were already ten miles outside of town. Bickslow and Alma had been the last at to arrive at the train station. They were confused and angry when they were told; it was rare anything rendered Bickslow speechless, but this had. Alma was impossible to read and Laxus just didn't know her well enough, or care that badly to really try and get a gauge on her feelings. The pair of them could have been useful but it was easy to see that they had been put through the wringer. Dirtied, bloodied, barely able to stand. Laxus didn't know what they found on their Ghost Hunt but it certainly didn't seem like an actual ghost.

When Laxus returned Levy was already sweating profusely. Natsu was keeping pace behind Wendy, just about, as she led the way at to the ambush point at sickening speed. Gajeel kept to Levy's side; a constant support throughout the darkness. Already in the dying light her foot had caught a few times but Gajeel had plucked her out of the air before she'd even touched the ground again. She could tell that even for him the pace was maddening. He could run for literal days but this was no brisk jog. This was an insane dash. Almost frenzied. Wendy moved much the same as her element. Driven by an unrelenting and unseen force. If Levy could have seen her clearly she doubted she'd have seen her feet touch the ground. Laxus disappeared and reappeared only briefly, and just to make sure he hadn't wandered off the beaten track or lost the main group.

When they reached the place that Lucy and Wendy were attacked, they were hoping they'd be able to track Lucy's path, by scent or some manner of trail. As far as they knew, the people that took her would be on foot, or by carriage, and Fairy Tail had the largest population of Dragon Slayers in the known world. Between them, they'd be able to find her. There was nothing in Earthland that would prevent it. It was as certain as the sun rising.

Which of course had the majority convinced that this was a trap of some kind. Levy knew at this point it was only prudent thinking to assume they were being led somewhere. Why and for what purpose were the questions. The only truth was that if Lucy was the bait for the trap, freeing her from it was the priority. Even if that meant getting caught in it themselves.

"We're here," Natsu's voice carried in the darkened silence.

When the sound of blood pumping in her ears died down, Levy heard Juvia's laboured breathing and Gray's vocal prayers of thanks. He seemed to have fared better than than Juvia, but only marginally.

"How the hell are we meant to see a damn thing in this?" Gray sputtered. There was a squelching sound and he groaned having just put his foot in something icky.

"We got us a shrimp!" Gajeel exclaimed, pleased with the momentary flash of annoyance on his girlfriends face before she smiled warningly at him, knowing he'd see it clearly despite the lack of light.

Levy felt herself relax a for a minute, feeling suddenly, genuinely useful.

She didn't even draw a rune, just a little magic into herself and she was a noticeable light source. Glyphs glowing in the darkness.

Laxus barked out a laugh.

"Well _look_ at that," He rumbled. "How _do_ you sleep at night, Gajeel?" Laxus mocked, almost unable to look at Levy directly, she shone so brightly.

Gajeel narrowed his eyes.

"Who says I _sleep_ at night," He responded with a wolfish smile.

"AHHEM!" Juvia coughed, waving her arms in Gajeel's face while Levy visibly went redder than a tomato. Her expression moderately murderous. Gajeel gave her a wink which did nothing for her mood. "Juvia thinks you look very beautiful, Levy," The water mage smiled sweetly at her; trying to keep the conversation in more respectible territory.

"You're like a giant night light," Natsu's face broke its perpetual frown as he erupted into bellows of obnoxious laughter.

Gajeel shook his head.

"Exactly how the hell is bunny girl carryin' _your_ baby?"

 _"Sex!"_ Natsu deadpanned to Gray's audible groaning. "And I can be charming when I want to be," He was adamant in his defense.

Laxus started roaring with laughter while Wendy plugged her ears as soon as Gajeel started speaking. The youngest Dragon Slayer was a pro at this point, when it came to staying out of their raunchier topics.

The moment was broken however when Gray looked down in the new light and found that the mud he was standing in wasn't on account of a freak shower of ra instead it was red with blood. He sucked in a breath that seemed to choke him, stumbling out of the road and onto the grass where he started wiping his feet in the grass. No doubt the Dragon Slayers had smelled it but hadn't brought any attention to it. Wendy fixed Gray with a pained look.

"It's Carla's," She announced, turning to examine the foot prints in the dirt. Scenting the air.

Levy stood behind her and drapped an arm over her shoulders whispering to her.

"It's going to be okay," They were words of comfort that didn't have the effect desired but Wendy was grateful nonetheless. The girl had already seen the fall of her first guild. Felt the loss of friends. This all struck too close to a still healing wound.

Laxus vanished in a streak of yellow crackling light only to reappear a moment later.

"There's tracks heading down the road for about a hundred yards. They stop then, change direction, carriage tracks lead on," He looked at them all, giving an especially hard eye toward Natsu who looked just a hairs breadth away from obliterating the countryside. They all felt the heat he was generating without even noticing. "From here on in, we're quiet and slow, keep the lights dim and your eyes open. We can't discount the possibility that Lucy actually got away. She might be pregnant but she's still a Fairy Tail wizard. Happy was with her as well, she's had worse odds. Mavis knows its not the first time she's had to wrangle her way out of a kidnapping," Laxus smiled.

Gajeel huffed despite himself. He remembered playing an unfortunate part in one of those abductions. Natsu spotted his expression and crossed arms, suddenly grinning again. He was calmer than before. Like all of a sudden he knew something they didn't.

"Lucy never misses an opportunity. You _know_ she kicked your old pal José in the balls and jumped out a ten story window that time he kidnapped her, right?" Natsu smiled stupidly at the memory and Gajeel started laughing.

"I didnt, actually. Really wishin' I had though, gihi," He chuckled.

 _"Oh._ Juvia has a lacrima recording, Gajeel!" She smiled, red cheeked and damp hair stuck to her face. "All the cells were under surveillance. It's very funny," She said.

Gray gave her a strange look.

"You've got this really dark, almost perverted streak, don't you!" He said to her, blind to the looks everyone gave him. This was Juvia. The woman that walked the fine line on Fiore's anti-stalking laws like a tightrope. That she would keep videos like that seemed to surprise only Gray.

Gajeel was smiling.

"I may borrow that from yah," Levy shook her head at him disapprovingly. She now knew what her next disaster free Saturday was going to entail.

Everyone was was in moderately bright spirits regardless, Levy knew it was good to keep optimistic. It was good to keep everyone calm.

They followed the trail for an hour until they reached the outskirts of a small village. Streets deserted and cobbles gleaming under the lacrima lights illuminating the roads and paths. Gajeel glanced in a few windows where he spied days old food still sitting on plates on the tables. Chairs pushed back. Coats still hanging from their hooks. The towns people looked like they'd just vanished. Everything closed up. A terrifyingly desolate place.

"I've seen this before," Gajeel said. Levy's home village looked much the same. The house they'd stayed in had been abandoned with all the possessions left behind, untouched and left for time to devour.

"The council," Levy replied out loud. "They call it 'emergency relocation','" She traced her fingers on the cobbles at her feet and a rune glowed briefly before fading. She sighed in relief. "They set up a teleportation spell around the area that transports people out. Its quick and efficient," She caught Laxus's worried glance. "It's also not presently active," She reassured them.

That the magic council had been let grow so powerful that they could do as they pleased, make judgements, strategize for war was a testament to how weak Fiore' King had become, the official country's forces had been all but decimated by the events of the Dragon King festival and they'd never fully recovered. The council had been left to grow too strong, and now they were suffering because of that.

Gajeel could smell Lucy in the air but it was old and fading. Natsu confirmed the Dragon Slayer's suspicions.

"She's not here anymore. She was, but that was hours ago," He muttered dejectedly.

"If they teleported her out with the rest, our trail ends here," Gray reminded them all. Laxus fixed him with a glare. Natsu snarled.

"Why would they bring her to a town only to have to move everyone out. That seems like a pretty convoluted plan," Levy was confused. It didn't make sense to her. Not even the council would be this wasteful, especially considering their already limited resources.

The Dragon Slayers all turned in unison as a foreign voice broke their conversation.

"In short, we _didn't_ bring her here. Not content to let your guild's reputation for trouble slide, she hijacked our transport and incapacitated my retrieval team. She thought coming to a populated place would protect her. But we have procedures for these types of situations," Blooms voice was calm and collected, appearing out of thin air, startling them.

" _Where's Lucy_?" Natsu snarled.

"I'll _damned_ if I know. As I said, _trouble makers,_ the _lot_ of you," The disembodied voice answered, exasperation heavy in his words.

There was an almost audible sigh of relief knowing she'd gotten away. Before they realized that Bloom didn't seem to care. Gajeel followed the voice and found a small communication lacrima sitting on a bench in the square facilitating their conversation.

Lucy was unimportant, which meant this was a trap for Natsu. He was the only one absolutely guaranteed to come after her.

"What the fuck are you up to?" Laxus snarled, the voice of authority on this rescue mission.

"I dare say peace makes countries so lazy. So content to accept compromise. I genuinely thought having the council assassination on foreign soil would do it. I thought my subtle little manoeuvres would be enough. Unfortunately, I need to crack this nut with a sledgehammer. Or Dragon Slayer, in a pinch," There was a horrified pause as they realized that there _was_ no war. Not yet. That disbanding the guilds, drafting members had been to seed panic. Disorganise any potential resistance. The _actual_ war would galvanize martial law. "You have a reputation for being quite the force of destruction, Natsu Dragneel. I imagine if you tear down one of their cities they aren't going to have much of a choice but respond in kind," He seemed to delight in the idea. "I can always denounce you at a later date, of course."

"You're _mad!"_ Laxus snapped. "And when we're at war with Fiore's biggest neighbour, with no guilds, a weak King and cities full of terrified people, exactly how the hell do you think you and your little coup are going to survive that?"

Levy however knew the answer. The wide eyes on Gajeel told her he'd figured out the same.

"Because that's _Calus,"_ Levy whispered brokenly.

"Well done. And why take one kingdom, when you can conquer two at the same time?"

There were silent stares all round. War was a lie he intended to make real. When the Kingdom of Seven marched against them he could simply order enemy soldiers to turn on each other. The battles would easily sway in Fiore's favour and when their enemy would come to the bargaining table looking to end the fighting, when that happened, he'd have them then. He could make them sign any terms. Dismantle their government with a pen stroke. Have them crawl on their bellies for him.

While he was talking Levy was scrambling round between the members of their group scrawling hasty glyphs on their skin. The rune for 'sense of self' that had freed her the last time and was now permanently dotting her skin now temporarily marking the others. She got to Natsu, now pale, sweating with the effort and traced it on the back of his hand. They all watched in horror as it sizzled, burning away. His internal fire obliterating it in moments. He locked disappointed eyes with everyone there, eventually sighing in misery at Laxus's blank expression.

Gajeel took up the lacrima in his fist and squeezed, his face twisted in grim satisfaction as fissures formed on the surface and the crystal shattered silencing Calus and preventing him from hearing them.

"I was really hoping I was gonna get to burn 'em," Natsu groaned.

Laxus' fist appeared out of nowhere and Natsu didn't block it, taking it full force on the chin. The Dragon Slayer was out cold before he even touched the ground. It was the only thing they could do. They couldn't afford to have any of them turned against the others. Or used in a similar fashion. They were all powerful mages and Fairy Tail's reputation for almost wanton destruction was unfortunately well earned.

"Ice Princess, you wanna make him cozy?" Gajeel smirked.

Gray knelt down beside Natsu's unconscious form and with a touch he encased him in ice. Everyone checked the spells Levy had set on them. She felt drained. Despite the simplicity of its appearance, it was a complicated spell and it required power. The stronger the mage the more energy would be required to set it. If she'd had a little more magic she might have been able to make the one on Natsu stick. As it was she was just desperately hoping the mark on Laxus didn't fade.

"They've taken care of any bystanders for us already so two stay with Natsu at all times..." Laxus smiled cracking his knuckles. In the distance the Dragon Slayers could hear the march of booted feet and the rattling of chains. "Let's try not to kill anyone. They may not be even aware of what's happening, or it might be out of their control. Other than that, _have fun,"_ He laughed, slipping his headphones down over his ears.

"Hey! And where the hell do you think you're going?" Gajeel snarled.

"There's a pregnant Fairy Tail mage out there in the dark in who knows what state. Do the math, idiot," Laxus snapped; disappearing in a bolt of light.

Levy felt Gajeel's hand on the small of her back, his thumb rubbing small circles in an effort to comfort her. She didn't even realize how tense she'd become until her muscles were unwinding at his practiced touch.

"Stick with me," He leaned down growling the words in her ear.

She felt like laughing.

"I know, I know, don't leave your side. I'm not going anywhere, Gajeel," She kissed him on the cheek.

* * *

They'd come prepared for Dragon Slayers. Well prepared. The first device they wheeled forward into town like an enormous foghorn on even bigger wheel emitted a sound not unlike nails on a chalk board at incredible volumes that shattered every window in the town square and sent Gajeel and Wendy to their knees in agony. Levy quickly countered it with a silence script before Juvia dropped the contents of a nearby river on it and Gray froze the remains. The water seeping into the crevices of the machine and expanding when frozen. Destroying the internals.

Gajeel and Wendy took delight in obliterating the rest. With wind and iron they reduced it to parts while Gray and Juvia began scattering the knights that had accompanied it. They had a time limit for this fight as minute by minute, more of Natsu's ice melted. The men coming for them were likely there only to wear them down. Weaken them. Then Calus would appear when they could non longer protect themselves from his magic. Knocking Natsu out was simply a means to buy them time.

Someone grabbed a hold of the back of Levy's shirt and she turned, twisting and driving a knee into the midsection of the startled knight who went down like a tonne of bricks, his eyes bugging wide, her knee clipping a little lower than his stomach due to the height differences.

Gajeel's barking laughter was ringing in her ears as she noticed an inordinate amount of soldiers making a beeline for her. Having established her as a present party, she was now also an additional target. Four men had broke away from the main group and put her in their sights. Two of them weren't fast enough to miss the blast of script fire that sailed their way and they landed, ass first, through the front of a bakery window. One of the remain soldiers reached for her. She leaned back and snapped her foot out, connecting with the inside of his thigh where there was a very audible snap and he collapsed screaming. An iron pole appeared out of nowhere and took out the last of the four she was facing. Gajeel's eyes fixed on the man she'd just crippled; staring at him like the Universe's greatest mystery had just been revealed to him as he watched his incredibly tiny girlfriend just break the leg of a man easily three times her size.

Levy glowered at him. He was enjoying himself far too much for her liking. She got no joy from violence. Not like he did.

They were cleaning up against the soldiers when the next device marched into the square on enormous treads. Its body looked to have been made of some kind of translucent crystal or glass; it was beautiful. Truly, the designer for it must have congratulated themselves when they made it because it was breathtaking. Levy would have liked to be able to appreciate its ethereal almost otherworldly qualities without the knowledge that this was a weapon that was either meant to kill them or incapacitate them.

When it started to glow, Levy felt her stomach begin heaving. Nauseous and suddenly inexplicably dizzy. She squeezed her eyes shut against the light but it wasn't enough to block it out. Not completely. And it was growing stronger.

She traced her hand through the air, in the direction of the machine and the word 'DARKNESS' formed in the wake of her fingertip, with a shout of effort it collided with the machine obscuring it with shadow and dampening its effects. It couldn't completely shield them though and within moments of being obscured in blackness, beams of white light burst through, burning away the magic. But a moments reprieve was all they needed to begin an assault on the crystal. Water and ice and air and steel. Relentlessly hammering at it while they could; Wendy temporarily increasing their attack strength. A crack in the still surface was enough and as sudden as it had begun the crystal began dimming. But Levy was at her limit. She fell to her knees, unable to stop the world spinning around her.

Her ears were ringing so badly she didn't hear what was shouted at her and she could barely make out the bodies racing back and forth at her side. Then there was stillness. As her vision began clearing she realized all the mages were standing still. Like statues. She thought for a second that time had frozen, but it hadn't. And then she noticed that the glyphs of protection she'd given them had been burned away. The were standing still because they couldn't move if they'd wanted to.

"Where's the other one? Laxus Dreyar?" A hand fisted in her hair and pulled her around and to her feet. She was weak but not so weak that she didn't plant a fist in Calus' stomach as he walked around in the skin of the man who's soul he'd now stolen.

She hadn't necessarily liked Bloom, but no one deserved that kind of end. From what Gajeel described, it was excruciating.

Calus doubled over with a pained cough, releasing her into the arms of some unhappy looking men.

 _"Stop struggling_ ," He snarled as she pulled against them. She didn't heed his command and had absolutely no compulsion to, either. This seemed to vex him greatly.

He reached out a hand, grabbing her chin and turning her head roughly back and forth, examining the marks on her skin. Huffing unhappily.

"I wonder if I flay these off..." He muttered to himself.

"Take...your fuckin' hands off her," From out of sight she could hear Gajeel snarling.

Calus' face morphed into a sudden frown.

"I thought I told you to be silent?" He ground out, angry that even though his power had grown since the last time, so too had their resistance to it.

"I ain't too fond of following orders," it seemed to cause him pain to say the words but he spat them out triumphant that he could, nonetheless. Every moment Gajeel bought them was another for Laxus to find Lucy and get back to help them.

Calus sneered at him, pulling out a knife and putting it to Levy's throat.

"Then how about this? Be silent or I leave a permanent smile on your mate, _Dragon,"_ He said, smiling when Gajeel closed his mouth reluctantly. "I only need a drop of her blood, from a body or a bucket? You decide!"

He looked back to her.

 _"You_ have been a _thorn_ in my side," He drawled. "If I'd have thought my son would leave a legacy like yours...that my own wife would help him betray me, I'd have put a knife in her belly long before he was born."

For a moment Levy saw genuine emotion. Betrayal. Pain. She knew in that instant that despite the monster she knew him to be, he'd loved his wife. Real love. Something she hadn't thought he was capable of. He swallowed his feelings behind the sagging mask he wore and commanded her comrades to face him. So they could see. They followed his orders like soldiers. Rigid and in time.

"With such a large, prominent Kingdom at my disposal, Seven at my heel, and the power of the Void, Ishgar will fall to its knees at my feet," He looked to Levy, considering, drawing the tip of his knife down her arm, just light enough that it didn't break the skin, enough that the surface erupted in goosebumps. "I was going to do this in stages. Seize the Kingdoms and when I had control of them I'd have time to continue what we started, with The Walled Garden, bring the rest to me in time. But with you _here,_ right _now,_ there's no reason I shouldn't be able to escalate my plans," He smiled, pulling out the black lacrima and holding it aloft. When he moved she could see the book jutting out of a pocket on the inside of his robes.

She barely felt the cut on her shoulder; just a drop of blood now hanging from the tip of his blade. She pulled against the hands holding her with renewed vigor, looking up into the uncertain faces around her. Making eye contact where she could.

"This is _Calus Vigna Sept_! And you are _helping_ him destroy Ishgar," She snarled. There were a few that looked like they could believe her, but not a single man dared make a move to help them. Whether through fear of what they'd seen him do or loyalty to what was left of the council, it didn't matter.

With her blood, and the book, it seemed as though events were presently repeating themselves.

Levy felt like she was going to have to watch her family, her new family, die all over again.

* * *

Notes

Where's Lucy you might ask? Pregnant, kicking ass, I answer. Well the next chapter is already ready to go, so I'll give it a day and post then. We are unfortunately almost at the end, but I do have a short story planned for Bickslow/ Ali. I honestly hadn't expected it to be a popular pairing Lol. I'd say maybe three or four chapters left to go after this.

To all the reviewers and followers and anyone that favorites me or my stuff, you have absolutely no idea the kind of joy you've brought into my life. This story has been a massive undertaking. Like, huge! And I couldn't have made it this far without all the help and encouragement. I'm going to be so sad to see this end. Like, you have no idea. Lol


	42. Chapter 41

When he realized that Freed had packed his bag with not only his soul jar, but his armour as well, Bickslow knew that things were serious. Beyond the normal disaster there was an air of futility tainting this new world.

Laxus didn't tell him much beyond Lucy having been taken, the disbandment and that they'd be needed elsewhere, to top it off, if his side mission went south, the Thunder Legion could possibly become critical to Fairy Tail's survival; he didn't mention Alma but where Bickslow went, she wouldn't be far behind. Even with an overnight train, they were going to be the last to arrive and meet up with the rest.

Bloodied and tired, Ali said nothing. Erza had packed her swords and some borrowed leathers, along with some regular clothes, but he could tell she would have preferred her armour; the comfort of its protection. Laxus's had spared a genuinely concerned look at the state of them. He might have even considered asking them to join him, but Bickslow wasn't too prideful to admit that both of them would be a hindrance as they currently were. They weren't in any condition to fight.

They were the only ones on the whole overnight train. During the day the journey would have only taken four hours, but the night train took a different route. There were more stops and it took twice the time. Supposed to be a leisurely trip. The benefit of an empty train however was a free upgrade to a sleeping suite where Bickslow would be able to shower at least. With news of war breaking out, people were afraid. Tourists were leaving Fiore in their droves. He doubted there would be many people at all boarding.

He admitted to himself that kissing her had been a mistake. Whatever tension had been there before had turned monumentally awkward in it's stead. She hadn't said more than a handful of words to him since and avoided eye contact as though her life depended on it. But she'd kissed him back. He was confused as to what that all meant. He'd have asked her if he didn't fear the truth. She was the type of woman who would have been painfully truthful. He'd already bitten off more than he could chew on that front. There was a president for not knowing any more at the moment.

The suite was old and the shower and toilet facilities were tiny, the water lukewarm, but he'd never been so glad to be clean in his entire life. He wanted to burn away the memory of that thing at the farm, but in the absence of scalding water, soap had to suffice. When he came out, Ali switched with him wordlessly, grabbing a towel from the overhead storage. She spent an inordinate amount of time in the shower. So long in fact that Bickslow had been able to leisurely dress himself and go acquire some food; the reheated lasagna from the dining car washed down with a large, steadying shot of whiskey. The reality of the situation with the guild finally sinking in. It had been one of the roughest days in a long while.

He set a second plate on her bed and lay down on his own, staring at the ceiling of the room, trying to turn his brain off while his mind ran rampant. Relaxing enough for some proper sleep seemed an impossibility, no matter what he did, it just wouldn't come. He was too alert. Too wired for something like that. He reckoned she'd been in the shower nearly forty-five minutes when she came out wrapped in a towel and dripping. Her hair loose, Bickslow realised it almost reached her thighs. The shaved sides were growing out and she didn't seem in any rush to do anything else with it. He had no idea it was that long, it was so difficult to get a grip on just how long it was tied up in that braid.

He averted his eyes when he realized she'd have to get dressed out here. There was barely enough room in the bathroom to pee, forget about getting changed. Through closed eyes he focused on the sound of his own breathing.

He let his mind wander, and between the vastness of thought there was only an all encompassing emptiness. A hollow place in his soul where the leech had remained. It was a painfully cold spot. He knew that just like a wound, he would need to watch that it didn't fester, just like any other injury, it was going to take time to heal.

Images of the guild hall burning flickered around him and a voice purred in his ear offering to buy him a drink, whispering their seductive offers of pleasure. Offering him a chance to forget. To lose himself in the commitment free offering of a warm body. He covered his ears and screwed his eyes shut.

Between the haze, something cold touched his face, and like a switch his brain fired back on. He jolted up out of bed headbutting a now dressed Alma in the face. The train jostled and she fell backwards onto her own. Between her fingers he could see blood from her nose. She breathed carefully through her mouth and in moments the blood staunched.

It took him several long seconds to realize he'd been asleep. Dreaming in fact. When he realized what about he groaned. He hated nightmares, but now knew he'd be having them for some time to come.

"What the hell are you playing at _?"_ He growled, feeling annoyed and taking it out on her, he knew. The frustration he was currently feeling, he could only mask behind general irritation.

"You were dreaming," She said, voice quiet. "I thought there was something wrong," She said rubbing her now tender nose. Swiping the blood on her face away.

There was quite a number of things presently wrong, but he didn't dare say them out loud. He felt a little redness creep up into his cheeks and he sucked in a breath to calm himself. She stared at him a moment longer and gave him a sad smile.

"What were you dreaming about?" She asked like she already knew. Eyebrow raised, her sight flickered back and forth between his eyes.

His chest heaved, irritation building.

"The world record," He coughed out a short mirthless laugh. She'd know he was lying. He didn't think he even cared.

"Oh," She said softly. "You called me in your sleep," She seemed to take pleasure in the way he responded to that. His embarrassment was just about electric.

"I _didn't!"_ He groaned wiping tiredly at his face. As if nightmares weren't humiliating enough.

She stared at him.

"I can help you sleep if you need it?" Of all the magics he knew existed, hers he knew would probably be the most useful in helping him with this, but he didn't want to take up her offer. Didn't want her to see how frail he currently felt. She closed her own eyes, her expression pained and he narrowed his, carefully considering her outward show of discomfort. She was usually so guarded with things like that.

"You okay?" He asked, genuinely concerned.

She nodded far too quickly for him.

"Physical contact just gives me a bit of a jolt. It's like..." She fumbled to explain it. Describe it.

"Like what?" He asked.

"Like being _attacked,"_ She laughed. He had just about broken her nose. It was more than a feeling this time.

Suddenly everything made a strange sense. The threads she extended were her way of accessing people without getting hit with the feedback. If she was sensitive enough to see peoples energies without even expending magic, then it stood to reason that touch would be a whole lot more invasive. He'd assumed it had something to do with passed memories. Some kind of buried trauma. Instead it was a very real reaction to a current issue.

When he'd kissed her it was probably more of an assault than anything else. Made him truly wonder why she returned it.

He suddenly started laughing, the memory surfacing of that first morning after clearing out Mira's bar. When he was so hungover he could hardly see straight.

"You dumped that ass in the fountain, and I thought you were genuinely _crazy,"_ He chuckled feeling somewhat awkward, and very much guilty. When he wanted to annoy her he'd hug her or drap his arm over her shoulders, cause he knew it would irritate her. That must have been torture. "Should I feel lucky you haven't actually killed me at this point? I mean earlier must have been like a punch to the gut," He joked trying to alleviate his guilt. Acutely aware of what kissing her unawares might have done to her.

"Maybe..." She rasped breathlessly. "..maybe a little _lower_ than that," Her voice was nothing more than a whisper.

He stalled, out of sight he pinched himself painfully, trying to figure out if this was still part of some strange dream, but they weren't ever as awkward or talky as this. She was still very much dressed as well.

"You get that a lot?" He questioned her. It was a valid question. She wasn't bad looking. Large eyes, an expressive face, strong legs. He was positive people hit on her on missions. Maybe the odd touch from an admiring individual. Then it occurred to him.

"You probably don't though, do you? You wear all that armour on jobs. Hell, I don't think that thing shows even an ounce of skin, does it?" The longer he looked the more he saw her shell crack. The mask she was wearing was crumbling. She wasn't wrong when she'd implied she was an unavailable woman.

"I don't wear it _all_ the time," She sputtered, irritably "And it depends on the person," The admittance came with a tremor of the hands she tried to cover up with a steady voice.

"And what about me?" He watched her visibly shift, uncomfortable.

"Most of the time, nothing. But..." He wasn't looking at her with his magic but he picked it up nonetheless; it pierced him with its intensity. When he did think to use his magic eyes he saw the colours fading. "Some things bleed through."

Attraction. It was _there._ He hadn't imagined it. He felt himself responding to her from across the room before he even realized it. That _stupid kiss._ It had completely screwed him over.

She seemed hesitant of her next words. Pausing to give her self time to debate them. He realized with a clammy sense of dread that she could read him, probably better than he could, her.

"You know, you could always _ask?"_ There was a hopeful edge to her voice. He knew that there was no miscommunication in that. In this they were both on the same page. His response came out too quickly for him to realise the mistake beforehand.

"You're not really my type," He wished he'd taken as much care with his own words as she did with hers because that came out so incredibly wrong he almost bit his tongue after. So very not what he'd meant. His type were women who would as happily crawl out of his bed the next day, as crawl into it. The truth was jarring. His type were the kind he didn't feel anything for.

She visibly bristled.

"I've seen you try bed _pregnant women_ you met on the _street,"_ She rasped, accusingly. It seemed rejection was something she didn't take terribly well either. They had that in common. Though his delivery probably had more to do with it than anything.

"Just because I go bedding random strangers doesn't mean _everyone_ is fair game," Her face losing all it's previous emotion as she sat there, still as a statue.

"You aren't a random stranger," She announced after a terse, distracted pause; looking at anything but him.

"No," He laughed humorlessly. "I'm waaaay worse, sweetpea," He glared. "You're fun to have around. Maybe you'd be fun to fuck senseless on occasion," She glared, clearly angry at the way he'd said that that. She didn't tolerate disrespect. He ignored the look, letting his tongue loll out at her. "But I like variety."

He wanted to tell her she was a friend and he didn't trust himself not to break her, because she _was_ breakable, but it was easier to play the part of asshole than it was to admit that she might have become somewhat important to him as a friend.

She pulled more of her hair over her shoulder into her lap and began angrily attacking it with the towel.

 _"Oh,_ is that why you date brunettes between five-five and five-seven, with a preference for brown eyes and c-cup breasts?" Her eyebrow rose, challenging him. "For _variety?"_ She snapped at him. His silence spoke volumes as to how close that dagger had just pierced.

"So who _was_ she?" Alma asked him without hesitation and he choked a little with the shock of that. Then he remembered that Old Sally, the soul stealing bottom feeder, had let his painful past slip.

"Who?" The question was a lie he knew she didn't buy, almost before he said it.

"The woman you wanted to marry? I'm guessing a brunette with a moderate bust and decent legs," She uttered calmly. Unspoken were the words 'The one that left you'.

He couldn't help how he suddenly wanted to be anywhere else but there. Bickslow scoffed.

"Who said anything about marriage? I'll let you in on a secret, it's for _chumps,_ sweetheart. Expensive, and sex is really cheap," He practically spat the words with a sneer.

"That's not true," She glared. "And I'd know, I've been married a few times," Her words weren't as sharp as he would have expected.

The expression of pity in her eyes made him stall. He'd let his defenses drop. He didn't know when or why, or how, but he had. Dealing with her all the time was far too taxing. When he was just one moment, one slip of concentration away from opening himself like a book. There was just no dropping his guard around her. Throwing on his boots, he stood and stalked out, pausing at the door with a glance back at her, still sitting exactly in the same spot drying her hair. His breathing was uneven and his heart was beating hard against his ribs. He needed to be far away from her right now. She had the ability to make everything so confusing.

She let him go with a sigh, _hating_ how she met expectations. In this case, the notion that despite how easily she read people, how forward she was, that she would fall flat on her face with Magnolia's biggest playboy. She stood carefully, wincing as the still warm lasagna fell messily from between her ass cheeks; where it had been resting in greasy, cheesy clumps since sat in it after he headbutted her. He'd probably thought she was playing it cool or aloof. The truth was that every time she opened her mouth she either snapped at him or jammed both feet so far in there, she choked. In this case, sat in lasagna.

She set the small plate aside and washed herself up, climbing back into her bed. Her hair was still too wet to do anything with so she sat up against the wall, waiting. Periodically glancing to the door despite being able to recognise when he came within fifty feet of the compartment. Some sort of newly developing nervous habit to check on him constantly. He was in pain and it seemed the parasite had been dampening the effects of something. Grief. Depression. It was difficult to say. He was hurting right now since it's removal. At the moment that's all she knew with certainty.

It was almost impossible for her to tell him what she herself was feeling. She'd lived so many different lives, so many experiences, but even being in the same room as him made her forget most of everything. It was maddening. She truly liked seeing him happy. For a time she thought that chasing women did that for him, but it hadn't. The more she got to know him, the more she realized it was actually the opposite. Pleasure and sexual intimacy were his crutch. She almost knowingly aided and abetted in that; a new shame to live with.

In a strange way it made her want to laugh. She'd accused him of chasing unavailable women only to come to the realization that he was Magnolia's most emotionally unavailable man. Hiding behind sex as if it could be used to shield him from the truth. He was a conundrum. In a weird twisted way it kind of amused her to think he would probably be scouring the train looking for someone he could talk into bed right now. Maybe to prove he could, that this didn't effect him like she knew it did. Maybe to distract himself. He was impulsive, but if tonight had shown her anything it was that he was clearly not _that_ impulsive. Not as impulsive as she'd originally thought, certainly.

She spent nearly half the time in the shower just thinking about that kiss. Staring at the aging tiles until the water ran cold and she was icy to the core. Wondering why she'd returned it. It would have been simpler to brush it off. Pretend she wasn't interested, though she knew that currently wasn't the case. If he'd asked her, she'd have climbed into bed with him. So far there were a few experiences she'd had the opportunity to redefine, she'd have happily added sex to the list. She knew was experienced enough to make it worthwhile.

But it was all so stupidly vexing. _She_ was a direct person. _He_ was a direct person. There was something there between them. Something maybe even more than the physical. She was constantly getting drawn to him. At her bedside when he'd connected with her, he'd left a trace of himself. A thread of his own. He'd probably already realized but their magic wasn't that different in the end. One was born of thought, the other of feeling. He was clueless in his own know-it-all way, probably thinking she'd forgotten about that. She really hadn't. Her memory was immaculate. The truth was that she shielded herself so he couldn't see those threads of his knotted around her soul.

All of this should come easily but it didn't. She fumbled around the whole topic like a teenager. Lust. Attraction. These were things she could recognize, but her memories of them were also so very tainted. The social norm in Fiore involved dating and dinners. Outings and a lot of unfamiliar nonsense that didn't feel natural to her. Most of the places she could remember, marriages were arranged, sex was a commodity that was bought and sold. It was _rare_ you got to know a partner like she'd come to know him.

It might have been ridiculous for her to think about pursuing anything considering their circumstances. She was already lucky; when she died, she'd die a somewhat whole person, her own memories, her own thoughts and experiences. She was new...and alive, when she had no right to be either. She was just a construct after all. A thing. Not a person. But she'd had the opportunity to live as one.

She fiddled with the ends of her hair, wishing it could dry so she could get some sleep, but it was too long. In Atla, soldiers wore their hair like this. But it was so hot there, it dried in minutes when it was wet and at the end of the day, she wasn't from Atla. She might have memories of living in the small independent territory in Desierto, but they weren't hers. She rummaged in Bickslow's bag and took out the first aid kit, pulling out the scissors. She looked at it blankly for a moment before starting to cut. Taking her hair almost to the scalp at the back, leaving it marginally longer on the top, and longer still at the front. She dumped the severed locks in the trashcan beside the bed. It filled it. There was just that much.

She stared blankly at the pieces running her hand over her scalp. She felt bare without it. In the same way she did without her armour. The sudden impulsiveness felt oddly thrilling. Order made her world tolerable. Kept it in line. _He_ was the impulsive one, not her, but she could see the appeal. Though, it unnerved her to think she'd already classified them as _them._ Already defining them as some kind of pair. They spent an inordinate amount of time together. That was a problem.

She found herself hoping he'd find some bartender or staff on the train that might appeal to him, and he could forget her for a time, then she could convince herself to think about other things. But she truly liked spending time with Bickslow. He'd been there when she woke up in this world after spending so long in the darkness. He was funny and kind. Stronger than he gave himself credit for; if he really tried, she wagered he'd have Calus Vigna Sept himself singing show tunes in a straight up contest of control. But he held himself back a lot. Played up the role of joker more than he really embodied or felt. He was lazy. Undisciplined. A glorified flirt. With a stupid cheeky grin that made her periodically fantasize about punching him.

And he'd kissed her. She'd watched him try and charm anyone with breasts into his bed for three months never even glancing at her sideways and he'd _kissed_ her. Touch was as strange as it was frightening. In the void you slowly began to forget basic sensation and back in the real world everything was suddenly intense. Sometimes it was too much to tolerate. That kiss had been almost revolutionary. Like she'd swallowed lightning. Like being hit with a freight train. She'd felt what he was hiding. _Need._ For so much more than he'd allowed himself to pursue.

She steeled herself, sighing miserably. These were problems that would take time to address. Time they no longer seemed to have at their disposal.

The guild was in trouble. These insane people that had taken her in and despite it all, had otherwise grown on her, were facing a disaster of truly staggering proportions.

While she hadn't said it out loud, she had a theory on what might be going on behind the scenes, but just no way to prove it at the minute. It would be worth discussing with the lecherous pervert running the guild when she saw him next. He might have reached the same conclusion. Those stupid little berries she hated, that always came I'm her fruit bowls, they came from Seven. Strange that trade hadn't stopped with their supposed enemy. That the borders still seemed to remain open was a problem couldn't wrap her mind around. She knew from many passed experiences that the first thing to occur between warring nations was a closure of the Country roads and routes.

Bickslow wasn't gone long. Maybe an hour. When he got back she took satisfaction in the blank faced, whole body stutter he did at the sight of her cut hair. Shocking people amused her, she had absolutely no idea why but defying them gave her a another one of those satisfying thrills. The look on his face made her smile.

"You cut your hair?" He said, surprised. Atlan's would cut off _fingers_ first.

"It was taking too long to dry," He laughed at her statement. As though she hadn't made a logical choice in cutting it short.

"You're _insane,"_ He fired back with a broad smile. Most women he knew would never risk messing up their hair like she seemed perfectly comfortable doing. On one hand she didn't seem to care about how her hair looked, but clearly didn't like people ogling her scars. Clearly mad. "But... it suits you."

She'd done as well as she could with the back but there was still uneven segments. Stray hairs. He extended his hand for the scissors and she relinquished it and turned so he could straighten the ends.

"Don't like lasagna?" The contents of the dinner he brought her were sitting in there, mingling with a whole heap of hair in the trash.

"When you headbutted me I accidentally sat in it," She admitted. Suddenly the distant look on her face made sense to him.

"You're joking?"

She squirmed a little. "My ass cheeks will never be the same again."

He laughed. Whatever tension he'd brought back with him, was gone with that. You couldn't make up half the stuff that came out of the woman's mouth.

"So...about earlier," Bickslow started but she laughed him off.

"I told you before. No apologies," She shrugged. "And I think this time I should be the one apologizing to you. I think I misinterpreted something...you are who you are. I shouldn't shame you for that."

"You didn't. I...just...we're _friends._ I don't think the kind with benefits really ever work out in the long run," He calmly stated. The words practiced in his head over and over for the last hour until he was sure he could say them without faltering.

"Agreed," The response was sincere but she hesitated. "I think I just wanted to redefine a few unpleasant experiences."

For the most part it was true. She didn't want to confuse the matter any more than that by getting into the matter of why _him._

"Hey, you've got your whole life for that," He laughed but then he spotted the look that flashed across her eyes, the one that told him she was expecting that to be shorter than most. "What's going on?" He asked.

He was getting more and more observant as time progressed. His inability to read her the Seith way, made him more aware of her expressions.

"I said ask, but I never promised answers," She smiled at him. A bright and warm thing. "I have my reasons," She laughed and Bickslow was certain he'd never heard her laugh like that.

He grunted, before pulling her to her feet and crushing her in a hug before remembering how unpleasant that could be for her. Arms snaked round his back preventing him from pulling back.

"Don't think of slipping out on us. If I have to possess you to keep you around, I will!" He affirmed halfheartedly.

She didn't want to tell him the truth just yet, so she let him believe what he wanted. Whatever would ease his current turmoil.

A knock on the door snapped both of them out of the moment and back to reality.

"You're shitting me?" Bickslow mumbled under his breath scrambling for the door.

On the other side of it, a dirty, scratched up pregnant woman glared daggers at him. In her arms she clutched a sleeping Happy who was snoring away.

There were twigs in her hair and her clothes were torn and dirty, but Lucy was alive and furious. How she'd managed to locate them on a moving train, forget about boarding it herself was a mystery. Celestial mages were good at getting around obstacles. Opening doors. But chasing down moving vehicles seemed so preposterous, especially in her condition. Undoubtedly she'd sought some help from her spirits on the matter.

"You two...are coming with me," She wheezed breathlessly. Her shoulders stiff. "We have some _stupid_ Dragon Slayers to rescue," Lucy heaved a sigh before marginally deflating. "After maybe a shower and some food," She wheezed. "Do I smell lasagna?"

Alma picked up the bin filled with hair and pasta, and held it out to her, eyes wide.

Lucy looked to Bickslow incredulously.

"You're kidding me, right?"


	43. Chapter 42

If anyone had seen a goat-like celestial spirit carrying a heavily pregnant woman as it raced alongside the train, they would have probably reported their drinks as being spiked. As it was, the train was almost completely empty, so there were no passengers to be startled by the atrange sight; it barely had the minimal of staff, many of them having failed to turn up for their shift. All across Fiore, no doubt there were others doing the same. If war was breaking out, many people would rather be at home with their families, their friends. Getting whatever comfort they could before the storm truly began.

But Lucy had more important things to worry about, certainly more concerning than her own comfort. More important than her painfully swollen feet or the nausea tormenting her, or the faint smell of cooked pasta that hit her sensitive nose as they passed by the dining car, making her upset stomach crave food, even while her unborn child kicked the unholy hell out of it in protest.

Because, she knew the Dragon Slayers were walking into a trap. She knew _Natsu_ was walking into a trap. She was also painfully aware that he probably _knew_ he was walking into one as well. They just couldn't possibly know how bad it truly was. But she did. She'd heard her captors talk about it.

The council had been watching them close enough to know who else to expect. She'd overheard them mention Gajeel, and Gray and Juvia, and Wendy as well. The young Dragon Slayer had managed to find help. Lucy had never been happier to know the girl was alright. There should have been no way for them to know just how many Fairy Tail Mages would be tracking her so they must have been using magic to do it. They would be _expected._ And if they were to have any chance, she needed to get them help. She needed to be free. Disadvantage or no disadvantage. No magic. No keys. No whip. It didn't change what had to happen. She had nothing.

Just some heavy, _heavy_ chains.

Lucy frequently had her moments of genius; she was certainly no dumb blond, so she absolutely loathed having little choice but to resort to the Natsu way of doing things. The anti-magic cuffs on her wrists were made durable enough to hold up against the strongest of prisoners, so after convincing them to stop so she could get sick, it _was_ a genuine request, she balled her hands into tight fists and swung her arm like a club across the back of the first man's head, and her other over the second ones face. The metal links were hard and heavy enough to drop them immediately. She took back her whip and the keys to the cuffs she wore, and rubbed her now tender arms in irritation. Grateful at least for the training she'd received having to chase a Dragon Slayer around Fiore on jobs. The third guy driving the wagon didn't really stand a chance as Virgo appeared at his side and hit him so hard in the face he exploded out of his seat and into the roadside verge. A broken jaw no less than he deserved.

When they didn't have young girls to threaten her with they were no more powerful than your average thug, and Lucy had been on enough missions with Natsu to know that there was no such thing as an 'powerful' thug. A grunt was a grunt precisely for the opposite.

She left them all at the side of the road and took the carriage. She knew that they'd send others to follow her and she needed to put as much distance between herself and them as possible.

Despite the risks, she figured the best place to hide would be a crowded place, so she made her way in the horse drawn carriage to the bustling shopping town she knew was near by. The plan had been to find somewhere to hide and hope they passed her, or gave up when the realised just how many witnesses would be there to see council men accosting a pregnant woman. What she hadn't expected was for them to seize the town, start blocking the roads, teleport people out. The council could be heavy handed but, it was just not something they'd normally resort to; making such a scene. Even if she'd been a dangerous criminal, they'd have kept a process like that, only as a last resort and nothing else.

It was close, Gemini had been mimicking her at the time and had been teleported out with the market seller they were speaking with at the time, thankfully giving Lucy some warning. Enough time for the celestial mage to quite literally throw herself into the river. Aquarius appearing moments later, shrouded in a terrifyingly a dark aura to bring her safely out of the town with the current, screaming at her about putting her child at risk like that, every single step of the way. At the end of it though, Lucy was safe and still free but she was worried about the others. The group that took her couldn't have been the only one watching the roads out of Magnolia.

Happy hadn't woken up yet, and by the time she'd made it to the tracks, hoping she hadn't missed the train, she was fully prepared for the possibility that the stress would send her into early labour. Seeing Bickslow had been pure coincidence and made her actually tear up with happiness and relief. The night train was the last one going in the direction of Fairy Tail's meeting point that weekend and while she hadn't exactly been thinking further than alerting the guild, her plan had been to get there and get help, she recognized an opportunity when she saw that Seith number one was drinking at the bar; she _knew_ that sorta-Seith number two would be close by. Between the three of them they might be enough to get the others out of this mess.

Maybe just.

"Did you really just offer me hairy trash lasagna?"

"I panicked," Ali muttered. Somewhere in the woman's mind there was an almost ingrained respect, and intrinsic fear of pregnant women.

Bickslow laughed hard.

"What makes you think that..." He paused counting on his fingers. _"...four_ Dragon Slayers, Gray, Juvia and Levy won't just _blow_ their way out of any trap the council have set up anyway? I'm pretty sure that's precisely the boss' whole plan to begin with," He argued. When you worked with Laxus, you learned to trust him. Do your job, because you could be damned sure he'd do his. Second guessing his plan was not something Bickslow was comfortable doing.

"The assholes that took me were talking about taking me to a man that could make me do whatever they wanted. Sound familiar?" Her words carried weight. She saw both of them pause. They understood what that could mean.

If Calus was working with the council in some way then it wouldn't matter how many Dragon Slayers there were. They'd all be in the same situation. They'd all be powerless.

Ali was pulling on Ezra's borrowed leather armour before Lucy had taken a breath after that. Checking her swords and stuffing the remainder back into her bag.

Bickslow sighed dispassionately, giving his bag a little kick and knocking the cork to his soul jar loose with a practiced ease that told Lucy he'd done it before.

"Come on, children, looks like we've got evil plans to foil," He muttered with a tired groan.

" _Alma, Alma, Alma, Alma_ ," They all started happily chanting, rising from the bag.

Lucy's eyebrows skyrocketed with the red that suddenly crept up both of their faces.

"Did...did I _interrupt_ something here?" She asked with a knowing smile. Suddenly taking in the fact that they were on a sleeper train with a private cabin. They weren't asleep when she knocked, either. In her arms Happy stirred, slowly coming round after the knock he'd taken to the head.

"No!" Bickslow and Alma both answered in rushed unison, hurrying outside. There was an awkward moment at the door as Bickslow tried to get out ahead of her and they got stuck. The handle of one of her swords catching in the hastily, half tied strap of one of his pauldrons, which subsequently fell off his shoulder, to the floor, wrapped around the blade.

Lucy only grinned wider. She hoped this would all be over soon, if nothing else, she now needed Mira to adjust some wagers. Baby things were expensive, and there was a wager she might just be collecting soon.

* * *

Levy knew that Laxus would now only be risking the same fate as them if he came back. The spell she'd placed on her comrades was only a temporary one, and not something designed to last.

Calus had everything he needed to continue and maybe even more at his disposal now. He'd wanted one Dragon Slayer, he got four. He wanted enough power to continue his work with the Well, uninterrupted. He now had the lacrima to store the power, the book, the blood. And an opportunity to test it.

No wonder he looked delighted with himself.

He withdrew, pulling out the book and placing the tip of the dagger against one of the blank pages. The spell flaring to life.

The air crackled with power as a tiny rift opened, no more than a peephole into the Well. Calus held the Lacrima aloft and it began to darken. Blacker than black. Even the light around it dimmed. Levy could barely focus on it at all. It seemed like a hole in the very fabric of existence.

With his other hand, Calus slammed the book closed and the rift closed up. Levy knew from her own research that when it was small enough, and you were quick, it was possible to close like that. Calus clearly knew what he was doing at least.

He stared in wonder at the lacrima in his hands.

"I deeply regret kill Garron. The man that designed this was a genius in his own right. He could have been _useful_ to me," He remarked wistfully. _"Very_ useful. But your sister had a lot of anger for the man. And as a result, so did I," He looked Levy directly in the eye, smiling. "Did you know that her magic was the control of reality itself? " Levy didn't answer him. She remembered Maeve singing to her. Singing to the plants and the animals. She was apprenticing with the local midwife. She had a gift for easing pain.

"Her magic was music," She spat at him. "She was a healer."

 _"No,"_ He looked affronted by the very idea. "She was a force of nature. Her magic was the evolution of enchanting. With an enchantment, when the caster dies or the spell is undone, the changes revert. Magic is constantly needed to maintain it." He wandered over to a stall in the market and pulled an apple from a cart. "I only experienced a taste of that kind of power. I can make a person do what I say but I can't command the mountains to rise or the tides to turn. Garron was the first time I _truly_ understood what power was. I commanded the very _earth_ to kill him, and it did." He took a bite from the apple and cast the rest away.

"Enchanting can turn an apple into an orange, but its still an apple. And without the magic it'll return to _being_ an apple. What _she_ could do, could make this apple into an orange. No remaining spells to break. No lingering trace of magic. It would be an apple, and afterward, it would be an orange. Each as real as the other. She could twist reality to her will. Bend it. Manipulate it." He reached out and gripped Levy by the throat. "The only reason I even _survived_ against her was her inexperience. Her compassion," He ground out. "Even after her final few months, she was still an innocent when she fell into darkness."

Tears sprung to Levy's eyes and she pulled against her captors again, ripping herself free of Calus' grasp. She didn't want to listen to this.

"I suspect that's what the other one's purpose is. I didn't think I left enough of her to continue but she somehow did. She gave birth to a creature with the experience of a dozen warriors, their cruelty, and their love of death; the knowledge of even more. No where even close to _her_ kind of potential; what walks around in her likeness is a pale imitation at best, but it has the will to destroy me where she didn't," He remarked.

"Alma is her own person. She's not Maeve, and she's not a _thing._ She's a Human being."

 _"Alma?"_ Calus asked. His face split into a smile and he started laughing. "Alma was my daughter-in-Law's name. Your _Grandmother,"_ He smirked. "I guess your sister had more of a sense of humour than I thought, to send her bitch creation after me with _that_ name. The McGarden that poisoned my line against me. Whispered in my own wife's ear till even she couldn't bare to look at me."

He held the lacrima out and a bolt of what looked like black lightning shot out and clipped Levy in the shoulder.

The pain was unlike anything she'd ever experienced. It tore through her, burning every nerve in her body till it was all she knew. Darkness was suddenly everything, and it swallowed her. She came back to awareness with the taste of copper in her south and the feeling of lead in her very bones. She couldn't move. The guards holding her lay at her sides, dead, simply from holding her when Calus stuck. She should have been dead too.

"LEVY?" Gajeel was calling her name. Panicked and desperate. _"LEVY!"_

She groaned, somehow finding the strength to move her arms under herself and push her body up onto shaky knees.

Calus was pulling her to her feet then. She was small enough that even Bloom's body was strong enough to hold her limply off the ground by the collar of her shirt.

"My dear wife's final act before I used her life and her soul to make these books, was to cast a generational spell. To guard her descendants from darkness," He brought his face close enough to hers that she could see the hate swirling in there behind his stolen eyes.

"But that won't be enough to save you from a second hit."

He threw her backwards and brought the lacrima to bear again. Levy didn't have the strength to move or even roll away. She couldn't even bring herself to close her eyes; instead watching in fascinated horror as he prepared to kill her.

A streak of yellow light struck him then. The black lacrima absorbed most of the energy, diverting it away from Calus' chest, where it had been aimed, but enough landed to take him off his feet and send him sailing away from Levy and along the cobbles before coming to a stop about ten feet away, the lacrima rolling out of his grip.

An impossibly large hand pulled her swiftly up to her feet before more familiar arms pulled her from the ground and away from Laxus.

"Gajeel?" She mumbled. She desperately wanted to sleep, and his familiar smell and comforting warmth only made that desire impossible to ignore.

"Where the _fuck_ were you?" Gajeel growled pushing Laxus painfully in the chest.

"Making sure Lucy was safe and finding us some help," He snapped. Laxus trusted them to make it. He'd been too slow to prevent the first hit but saw Levy take the direct blast that killed the men holding her. Saw her get up from that. No one here was weak. In his youth he may have deluded himself into thinking otherwise, but it just wasn't true.

Behind them the ice was breaking around Natsu; cracking as he finally started coming round.

"Do we have any cuffs to put on Calus?" Laxus asked.

" _Hold her_!"

Then the world stopped and a streak of black shot out faster than even he could react to and hit him, dead on. The Lightning Slayer held the power for a brief moment before he started screaming. Falling to his knees as Calus poured more and more viscus energy into him. Enough that even Garron's lacrima started draining of the precious power it held. Gajeel held Levy tightly in his arms, pressed firm against his chest. And were once it was a comfort, now he was restraining her. Forced to comply with Calus' new commands.

 _"No..."_ Levy cried. She was too weak to struggle, she could only watch helplessly as Laxus fell; his body literally smoking. He collapsed to the cobbles, unmoving.

Calus advanced again, moving toward them dagger and book in hand, the lacrima now drained and in need of more power. The book wanting more of her blood to get it.

She pulled against Gajeel's grip, sobbing. Then she felt it, his breath in her ear, whispering to her.

Calus was torn up and bloodied. His clothing black in places from the sheer voltage Laxus had struck him with. On his forehead a gaping wound was bleeding freely.

"As I said, _troublesome,"_ He forced out through gritted teeth, his knife raised. He glanced to the lacrima. "When I find out how this was made, I think the next one needs to be _much_ bigger," He smiled.

He jabbed the dagger into her arm like a pin and she shrieked, feeling Gajeel's grip momentarily tighten with the shock of it. There was no little cut this time around. He wanted to inflict pain. He wanted to cause her suffering.

Placing the dagger on the pages of the book another opening formed and the lacrima began charging again.

This was it. The only moment she'd have. Around her Gajeel forced his arms to drop and Levy moved forward with everything she had, yanking the book out of Calus' hands. Gajeel had told her to be ready and she was, with every order Calus gave, the Dragon Slayer was retaining more and more freedoms. He could move if only briefly.

Gajeel trusted that Levy had a plan. Or if she didn't, she would come up with one on the fly.

Calus turned in wide eyed surprise as she fired the book at the rift, watching it sail through, disappearing into darkness like the others. The hole in space closing up afterward. The last key, the last evidence of her family's shame vanishing out of Earthland. She felt a weight lifting from her chest. Like a great wrong had been put right. It wasn't her sin, but she'd still carried it. Like the name that she couldn't legally shake.

He picked up the dagger and turned, arm raised only to freeze in a flash of green that Levy knew was Bickslow's figure eyes magic. There were gasps all round as people came to their senses again. Even the soldiers present returned to their own cognitive thought with pained, sputtered curses. Some of them lay down on the stones and curled into themselves. Most of them ran. Determined to get as far away from Calus as possible before he broke free. It was clear to see they'd been compelled to continue.

Calus couldn't move. He was frozen. But so was Bickslow. It was taking all of his concentration to maintain possession; his babies circling round his head lending him as much power as they could. And even then it was a stalemate.

Calus couldn't speak but the look in his eyes, the smirk on his face was enough, it told them that Bickslow was growing weaker. He wouldn't be able to keep this up for long.

"We should kill him while we have the chance?" Gajeel said out loud.

"He's defenseless right now, you'd be no better than him!" Wendy bit out. No matter how much she wanted to see it, they couldn't just just kill him. There was no justice in a quick death. His victims needed that.

"We aren't going to have a lot of time to debate this," Gajeel argued and Gray nodded in agreement.

"I'm with Gajeel on this. We can't let him live. Sure, rotting behind bars would be better, but can we really risk that. Look at what he's done?"

"He's hurt no family more than he's hurt mine..." Levy hesitated. "But I can't agree with an execution."

While they debated, Bickslow started to shake.

Gajeel looked at Levy understandingly. Despite it all, murder wasn't in her nature.

"Well, whatever we do, we need to do it quick." Gajeel snapped.

And then a set of tanned hands wrapped around Calus' skull from behind, slowly, like a serpent. Ali's splayed fingers crossed over his eyes and temples tightly while Bickslow looked visibly relieved. The strain on him lessoning. Where her skin made contact with Calus, blackness spread like an infection, seeping in behind his eyes. Twisting in there. But they were both tired and the day and night had been unrelenting for all involved. While Bickslow held him still, she got to work. Eyes glazed over in fierce concentration. But he was weakening. Already Calus was starting to move. It only took a moment, just a single instant of distraction for Calus to gain back enough control to raise the now charged Lacrima against them.

Energy crackled outward, one slamming into Bickslow, though his armour deflected a lot of it, the other hitting Alma and sending her sprawling back away from him, where she lay unmoving, the sparse cough the only indication she was even still alive.

Calus rose again. How he kept getting up, they couldn't fathom. His body was broken. He was cut up, beaten up, burned. Laxus was breathing but still unconscious. He turned to the others and issued one last command. The only one he'd the power for at the moment.

"Kill each other!" Suddenly there was chaos as the Fairy Tail mages started attacking their friends. Juvia moved like she were made of Laxus's lightning, attacking Gray. Levy was unaffected. She watched Gajeel catch Wendy out of midair but he simply held her tightly, preventing her from hurting anyone. Levy let out a breath in relief. The command hadn't had any effect on him this time.

Levy looked to Calus and wished she'd have let them kill him when they had a chance. She was tired, and hurt and too weak to do much beyond stare as Calus lumbered over to Bickslow, his hands outstretched.

She realised what was going to happen several long arduous moments before it occurred and she screamed. He pulled off one of Bickslow's gloves and grabbed skin. Ready to change one damaged body in for a better one. A more compatible one. Bickslow was only now coming around and wouldn't be able to defend himself. Tears started freely running down Levy's face at the sight.

No one prepared for Calus' scream of frustration when absolutely nothing happened. He pulled off the man's other glove and tried again and still the same, still nothing. His eyes watering with the knowledge that among all of the loses tonight, none were greater than the loss of his ability to change bodies. Alma had _castrated_ him, stitched his very soul into his current form. He was _trapped._

The look of horror on his face was a joy all on its own. For the first time, it looked as though the man was actually terrified. He pressed the palm of his hand against his chest, his breath catching in pain.

"What did you do?" He looked toward Alma's still body. His voice quieting. "What did you put _in_ me?" He snarled before pausing. His eyes glazed over and he started shaking. Energy rippled along his face scoring open, oozing craters in his flesh. Under his skin, something black slithered just out of clear sight. Like a dark snake moving under his shell while he started to scream and roar, tearing at his skin to get it out. So terrible to behold only Levy seemed to notice that Ali was now singing. With words that were pleading for something to wake up. Something to rise and come forth.

That's when they all saw it, felt it. A new rift into the void. Much bigger than before. Her voice growing louder and more frightful sounding as the breach grew. Inhuman notes that seemed to shake the ground like thunder. Her voice answered in the darkness by something beyond comprehension .

There was no spell, no book, but something had torn a hole out of the Well and was reaching for Calus now. Tentacles filled with thorn like blades stretched out for him. When he moved away from one rift, another formed behind him, and another, and another until there was no escaping the creature reaching for him. Now that it was awake, woken by her song, it was trying to take back what was stolen from it. The dark piece of itself she'd carried all these months.

"There...there are far worse things in the darkness than him," Alma whispered, her voice little more than a pained hiss. Levy made her way over to her and cradled her head on her lap as she lost consciousness. Her life starting to fade.

If what Calus had said was true, while she might not have been her sister, she was Maeve's legacy. She was still family.

Already Bickslow was coming round, scrambling over to them and away from the sight that had transfixed the rest. He didn't even watch as the monster cut into Calus' flesh and started pulling him, piece by bloody piece into the darkness. Eyes wide and screaming, pleading for help and mercy, he stretched out a shaking hand toward Levy and she trembled. Not because she pitied him. Or because it effected her to see a human being meet an end like that. And it was, utterly horrifying. She shook with _relief._ And a horrible realization that while she wouldn't condone murdering him, she also wouldn't mourn his end. Even one as bad as this. Gajeel held a sobbing Wendy against his chest so she couldn't see. For all her fire when Carla had been hurt, it just wasn't in her to inflict pain like that. Natsu was now on his feet, confused as to what was going on but satisfied that whatever it was, getting knocked out was probably the best case scenario. There were things you just couldn't unsee and the sight that greeted him was one he would have preferred not to have witnessed.

 _It didn't even leave blood behind_. That was the only thing to cross Levy's mind as the final traces of him vanished. When the last portal closed every molecule of Calus was gone. The Walled Garden was gone. He was gone. But the suffering remained. So much that she wasn't even sure it could all be made right.

Wendy went to Laxus first and began healing his wounds. Though he'd taken an incredible burst of energy and she didn't hold out hope of him walking this _week_ at least, the Dragon Slayer was at home with lightning. A bolt of pure energy like that _did_ damage him, but no where near as much as it could have. He was already coming round. Hurt but alive. It had hit him hard, but no where near as much as it had done with Alma.

Bickslow was tired and shaken but mostly just bruised. Levy had a painful burn and a number of cuts but was otherwise okay. The rest were shaken and tired.

But Alma, Wendy couldn't be sure of. The bolt had hit precisely over the freshly closed wound on her chest and punched straight through. There was no blood because it had cauterized its way out the other side. There was nothing more Wendy could do but close the wound and hope that she'd eventually wake up. Her life force was so still. There but not the vibrant kind she was used to with the living.

Bickslow took her from Levy and cradled her closely. He could see her soul. See how close she was to passing on. Slipping out of even his reach.

He willed it with everything he had back from the brink. Opened himself up to it in the hopes she would reach out like she had before. But there was nothing. His totems were going ballistic, sailing around shouting and cursing and he couldn't blame them. Suddenly terrified that this would be the last time he'd see her alive.

He couldn't accept it. He pried her eyelids open and summoned every ounce of magic he could and locked on, holding onto her soul. He expected it to fight and thrash like it had all the times previous, but it didn't, it settled against him, allowing him to take control without any fuss. He breathed a sigh of relief as it she started stirring. She'd be okay. There was nothing between them at the moment. No barriers to speak of. She was just there and he could see her clearly. She'd been a good teacher on that front and he knew what to look out for. Eager to point out all the subtleties he'd otherwise been unable to decipher. And that's when he saw them, the tiny veins marbling her being. Brushing them he felt himself, twisting through her core. Felt how important he was to her. She was still so uncertain about who she was to feel something as complex as love, but she held these threads of his with great affection.

It was scary to consider that possible future, but not nearly as terrifying as watching her die. Again. Literally twice in a twenty-four hour period. He had to resign himself to the idea that whatever happened, happened. He'd been hurt in the past, badly, badly hurt, but these types of things you sometimes just couldn't control. Alma was still growing, though. And she was going to need space to do that.

"If you go and die on me, I swear, I'll have you buried in a ball gown," He whispered, smiling when one of her hands came up and with her eyes closed, weakly punched him in the chest.

"I'd come back..just to make you eat it," She muttered lamely.

Levy was laughing alongside Bickslow when a semi-concussed Happy dropped Lucy into Natsu's arms.

Her new family had survived The Walled Garden, and while she hadn't found her sister on her escapade, she'd found her family was only growing bigger.

They were all alive. Somehow, they'd all managed to live though this. Now, she just needed to learn how to actually live without any of this hanging around her neck.

She caught sight of a blood speckled Gajeel smiling at her and she realized just how much she was looking forward to that.

* * *

Notes

And we've reached the end. I know some of you guys have been shipping Bickslow and Alma and I wasn't kidding when I said that I would write that up. Lol But I don't believe in making things easy. We're 150k words into how difficult I can make stuff. Sorry for that.

There's still an epilogue coming. I may be responsible for some heartstrings getting tugged. (Rachel3003 is going to kill me.) But I don't do anything without reason. And I am lining up the next story.

Special thanks to everyone on who've been tracking the story there and WheresTheFood, Desna and Rachel3003 for all the support. To my reviewers and guests and any I've missed:

Moonlight Goddesses, piranha pk, Shadow Spears, Krizti, David Saunders, ro-blaze, lilphoenixfeather, Krisa-p15, sassykitten1701, bibliophilia13, EllaEllaAye, FTLevy, Math-Otaku, kmmcm, Satanovna, vixenexiv, Mskumiko24, CanaryOfBlack, spk9293, michellephoenix275, Irukagirl, MissGhoulie, MissOtak1, ladybeth4, suicuneluvr, SailorSilentEarth,

I couldn't have done this without all your continued support! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Still the epilogue to go, so hope to have that up in the next week.


	44. Chapter 43

It was so very stupid. Of all the individuals to save Fiore from war, it had been averted by the machinations of Matheson of all people. When the man felt the council wasn't taking him seriously, and they _really_ weren't at the time, he went straight to the King. No matter how unlikely it had seemed, tensions were something the King of Fiore wasn't prepared to chance.

Within two hours of the meeting, Princess Hisui was on a private train charged with ensuring worst fears didn't come to fruition; her presence would ensure diplomacy didn't break down; she already had a working relationship with both the Sevenese and Boscan Royal families. For someone so young, she was well respected in both their adjoining kingdoms.

When she'd arrived what she'd found had been nothing more than a communications breakdown. Their closed off neighbours had suffered an enormous electrical storm over the capital, the biggest one in over five hundred years. It had been devastating. Knocking out most of their communications, damaging city infrastructure. There had been death tolls in the hundreds, possibly thousands across the country. The truth about the Kingdom's distance, was that it had not been on account of tensions with Fiore, but simply because their country was already in the grips of a national catastrophe. Diplomatic relations with Fiore weren't even an _afterthought._

When they realized the King had sent the Princess, the magic Council couldn't be seen to brush off the potential threat any further. The Sevenese government had been confused when Magic Council members had turned up on their doorstep days after the Fiorian Princess, except where she was polite and genuinely concerned, they'd turned up _demanding_ answers. The truth that the country was in pieces as smaller storms continued to rain down destruction on them wasn't one they were expecting. After the initial and largest had passed, more and more smaller ones continued cropping up, hampering recovery. Whatever they replaced, was soon damaged as another struck.

But Hisui had been much more sensitive in her dealings and where it could have almost been a blunder, instead they arrived to find her aiding in the rebuild. She'd sent her private train back and had it stocked with lacrima the Sevenese could use to deflect the energy building over the cities and a new communications system to reconnect the country with its neighbours and the individual provinces more than likely still in panic.

When the bomb detonated at the ambassadors residence, killing the council members, it might have been mistaken, innocently enough as just more thunder if not for the plumes of smoke drifting skyward. If the situations were different, who could say if Fiore would have blame them for the assassination, but no one, least of all Princess Hisui believed that her hosts were responsible in its aftermath. One of their younger Princes had been hurt in the blasts, he was six years old and playing in the gardens, and while a lot of things could be said about them, their King was popular among the people and the nobles alike. They would _never_ have put their own Princes at risk for such a clumsy attempt at war.

She didn't want to seem too smug about it, but less than a day later Hisui was proven right; a large sum of Fiorian Jewel and explosives equipment had been discovered changing hands directly in the wake of the attack. The Sevenese guard swooped down on them without mercy. It took them only hours to pry the information they wanted out of the assassins. The remaining conspirators were picked up and executed on the spot while looking to buy their way out of the country. Trying to escape before they were caught, or _silenced._

When communications came back up they discovered that it was suddenly _Fiore_ in disarray, with the remaining magic council members red handed and elbow deep in the act of treason.

And then they heard that dreaded name again. Calus Vigna Sept. Returned from the dead. Electrical storms were nothing in comparison to the type of horrors the man was capable of. Nearly a hundred years later and the sound of his name still made grown men quake.

By the time she returned to Fiore it was all over and done with. Disaster had only very _narrowly_ been averted. And it hadn't been without loses. There had been good, honest men serving on the magic council back home and they were going to have to live with their actions. Most hadn't had a choice. Calus had commanded them to obey and they had. She knew of two that had taken their own lives rather than live with what he'd made them do. There were a lot of individuals no longer among the living who were be irreplaceable and would greatly missed.

When Hisui's eyes scanned the official reports and documentation, one individual name kept coming up. There were far too many people involved to thank individually and the matter of the council's betrayal was being kept very quiet, but Matheson had mentioned this person several times in his reports and she knew the significance of their help. It wouldn't have been appropriate to offer anything like money or land or titles, but she felt there was something she could offer.

She waved down one of the servants delivering her afternoon tea.

"Would you mind fetching someone from the Chamberlain's office for me? I want to propose an amendment to the law."

* * *

Guild members were baking under the sun waiting for the food to grill; cooking even faster than the burgers and steaks, and growing redder with every minute while Natsu tried so hard not to burn the food he'd pretty much stopped cooking it altogether. Transfixed watching a whale sized Lucy float aimlessly around the pool on her back. Like an inflatable beach ball. He'd felt his son kicking that morning. There weren't any words for the joy he felt.

It was shaping up to be one of the hottest days in years. A record heatwave. The guild pool was packed and people were laughing and smiling. Levy was sitting with her back facing Gajeel while he happily applied suncreen on her; content with the excuse to all but maul her in public, in plain view. She could feel him paint the cream over her scars, lightly tracing the glyphs with thick helpings of it before massaging it in. She felt her eyes close happily, crooning under his fingertips.

"Hey, check it out!" She let her eyes drift open, squinting against the harsh glare as Gajeel nodded toward the doors from the main hall, were a man in royal messenger garb had just pushed passed Alma. An obvious mistake as she'd turned and put him up against the nearest wall by the collar, feet dangling off the ground. Jet and Droy jumped in, trying to reason her out of murdering him and ruining the borrowed floral sundress she was awkwardly wearing but short of physically prying her away, and they weren't stupid enough to physically make contact with her, not again, they had to settle with words. She finally set him down only when Erza appeared out of nowhere and clapped her on the back. She dropped the man with the sudden shock of it before Titania shoved her playfully forward and out of reach of the suddenly pale messenger.

Levy smiled at the look of fury on Ali's face as she turned to glare murderous daggers at the redhead while carefully scanning the pool area and the BBQ, looking for someone. Levy _knew_ that look, and she smiled as Gajeel pulled her back against him, his palm flat against her stomach where he stilled, before suddenly nuzzling her neck. She heard him laugh at her ear. His breath hot against her skin.

"Did we forget to take our potion?" He whispered quietly to her. His voice cracking with laughter.

Her eyes widened in nothing short of panic. The contraceptive potions regularly messed with menstrual cycles. It wasn't something she usually worried about. Not having a period for a few months wasn't an unusual occurrence.

"I'm _not_ pregnant," She made herself force out with a brisk laugh. She really couldn't be pregnant.

Gajeel let out a low growl against her neck before leaving a kiss behind her ear.

"Maybe. Maybe, not _yet,"_ She knew he was grinning out of sight behind her.

"You're such an _asshole,"_ She couldn't stop herself from laughing as the panic died down.

"You know, I think I might have been told that before," He feigned sudden cluelessness. Chuckling as she elbowed him in the ribs.

"Lucy is due in a few weeks. Volunteer for babysitting duty and we'll see how much you joke then," She drawled, lazily leaning into him.

The hand on her stomach started tracing circles on her skin and she shuddered. Feeling a sudden need for more, building. A thumb slipped under the edge of her bathing suit dangerously, before tugging gently and letting the material snap back causing her to jump a little.

"We're in public. _People can se_ e!" She hissed disbelievingly. Gajeel only laughed harder. She knew he got a thrill out of it.

"That can be rectified, Shrimp," He teased, inching his hand even lower. It was ridiculous how turned on that left her. Maybe _she_ got a thrill out of if too, because she turned and kissed him hard, driving her hands into his hair, pulling him closer, almost pushing herself into his lap.

"We'll need to find a bigger place if we're thinking about children," Levy said, smiling against his lips. She felt a literal purr rumble outward from him and she clasped him tighter. There was something there, tying them together. And the more time they spent together the stronger it got. Tiny invisible threads that linked them; growing in numbers over time.

"Are you Miss Levy McGarden?"

Startled, Levy broke away from him and turned, shielding her eyes against the sun, looking up into the face of the man in Royal gear standing at the edge of the sun lounger. The one they'd been watching only minutes before. Gajeel had a suddenly, almost painfully tight grip around her waist.

"Yes? Can I help you?" The man took out an image recorder and snapped a picture of her before handing her an official letter with her name on it and bearing the royal seal. Her image proof that it had been delivered.

He bowed deeply after making the delivery. So low that it was a possibility his nose brushed his knees.

"As a side to the letter, there's a carriage of Sevenese ale on route to every guild as a means of apology for the trouble incurred," He proclaimed. "I've already informed the guild master," He finished before giving a smaller, sharper bow and leaving. She watched him cast a wary eye Alma's way as he exited. Erza was again trying to force feed her cake.

Levy could swear she saw Cana's head appear out of the bushes at the mention of Sevenese booze but it was probably a coincidence; the brunette coming to Ali's rescue so to speak and leading Erza back inside at the mention of white chocolate fondant.

Patiently, nervously, Levy waited for him to disappear out of sight before breaking the seal and pulling out the letter. It wasn't a personal letter. From first glance it didn't even seem like it was addressed to her at all; it was simply a copy of an amendment to Fiorian law that had just been signed in.

She read through it, starting to make sense of the contents, felt her hands begin trembling as she finally started to understand what laws had been changed. There was a form folded neatly behind the notice.

"What is it? What's goin' on?" Gajeel asked. The brief glance at the contents of the envelope made no sense to him at all.

"They changed the law to allow any partner, regardless of gender, to take the name of their spouses if they choose. This is a legacy change form to have the legal effect backdated," She whispered.

Gajeel could see it wasn't bad news, but he still wasn't entirely sure what that all meant. She looked up at him smiling, years pooling at the corner of her eyes.

"It means I'm a _McGarden._ They'll legally accept my grandfathers name change. Sept no longer exists. The name is _gone,"_ She beamed, laughing. "He's really gone." Throwing her arms around him and hugging him tightly.

Gajeel smiled before standing and picking her up, heaving her over his shoulder, her playful squeals were tempered with joy and a profound relief, the noise drawing a few odd looks and raised eyebrows. Gajeel hurled her into the pool roaring with laughter.

When she broke the surface of the water it was very almost like being reborn.

"You'll pay for that!" She halfheartedly threatened. Above Gajeel the equivalent of a few gallons of solid script water was dumped unceremoniously on his head, washing him into the swimming pool after her.

Growling he started to chase her through the water while she laughed, it was then that she caught sight of Alma as she hastily left the party. No one else seemed to notice; the remainder of the guild seemed happy enough to watch Erza, who couldn't cook to save her life, argue with Natsu over the still raw meat that was going to spoil long before it finished cooking on that grill.

"Was she crying?" Levy whispered to Gajeel. The mood somewhat dampened.

"Shit. She could of been. Didn't get a good look," Gajeel remarked.

"I wonder what happened?" Levy absently asked. It wasn't likely they'd ever actually find out. Alma certainly wasn't the woman to ask.

* * *

"Of all the dickish fuckin' things I think I've ever seen you do, this is undoubtedly one of the dumbest," Laxus had been back on his feet within two days and at full strength within the week. On his feet long enough to intercept Bickslow as the man made possibly the biggest mistake of his life.

"Geee, boss, your pep talks are getting better," Bickslow smirked at Laxus' narrowed eyes. He was expecting the reaction. He'd been sitting on this job for a long time already and he knew it wouldn't go down well with the team. But it wasn't a job he could just ignore forever. It was a job specifically for a Seith mage, and not just any kind, one specialized in human souls. The list of those mages on the entire Continent comprised of one name, his. He'd been putting this job off for months already.

The Dragon Slayer slammed his hand into the doorframe, letting his arm block Bickslow's path out of the house

"You're really gonna skip town today, of all fuckin' days, and you aren't even going to _tell_ her you're leaving?"

"You make it sound like I'm leaving the guild or something. Its just a long mission. I'll probably be back in a few months," He defended himself.

"Are you really that scared of commitment, that you'll put Ishgar between you two before you'll even consider it?" He snarled.

Bickslow's eyes narrowed behind his visor.

"It's nothing to do with that. And _what commitment_? We _aren't_ together!" He pushed Laxus's arm out of the way and squeezed through. "I'll be back in a few months. This can all wait till then. Its _not_ a big deal,"

"Then why haven't you told her yet? She's been sitting up in that hospital bed for nearly a week, bored out of her mind. You've been to see her _once,_ Bickslow, _once._ And the day she's been let out,

you're taking off."

 _"_ It'll be easier this way. _Trust me,"_ He rasped; he didn't believe that himself but the lie didn't have to be convincing.

"The last time you told me that I ended up stark naked in a royal courtyard in Crocus, trying to explain my way out of a prison cell. Excuse my disbelief," Laxus wiped tiredly at his face. "But I'm not gonna hound you on this. It's not going to be my heart you're going to break here. I would of thought you'd know how bad that fucking felt," Disappointment ever present in his voice as he turned away from Bickslow.

"It's not the same and you know it. Jess was..." He almost couldn't say her name. "Alma is just a friend," He ground out, already irritable.

"You don't get up before ten am for friends, Bickslow. You barely get up before ten am for _missions._ It doesn't matter if you never so much as pecked her on the cheek," Laxus paused, scrutinizing Bickslow's face before shaking his head.

"Except you _have_ kissed her, haven't you? You sly dog."

"I really don't want to talk about it, boss. Got a train to catch," Bickslow put on his visor and forced a grin. The mask hiding the sudden worry in his eyes.

"Well, don't do anything stupid and if you need us, we're here," Laxus offered. He didn't want to see him go either.

"Me? Something stupid? _Never!"_

Bickslow hurried out the door before he changed his mind. The train would be leaving soon and he would be out of Fiore by nightfall. Today was meant to be a day of celebration. There was a BBQ at the guild and now that the King had overturned the disbandment orders, they were official again and things were settling back into some form of normality.

But there was a hole in him; an aching painful space that couldn't be allowed to remain, and he needed time and distance for that to heal. People left the guild on extensive missions all the time. It wasn't that big of a deal. He doubted many would notice. He expected he'd be back within a couples of months.

He took his seat on the train and tried to think of other things but he couldn't, mostly he was just glad that Laxus hadn't asked him the big question he really wouldn't have been able to to answer: why he didn't ask her to go with him?

* * *

Notes

The shorter Bickslow story is called Of Barren Design and first chapter of that should be up within a day or two. If Laxus, Natsu and Bickslow sound like a team combo that would interest you, then you may like it. Its very much Bickslow-centric and its set in The Walled Garden universe. Its got its darker tones but its kinda bordering on comedy in comparison.

And that's it. The end of the Walled Garden. Done. Finito. Complete. I'm fairly sure there are some points that I may rewrite at some point but for the most part I think getting it out there in some sort of complete fashion is the important bit. Would have driven me crazy otherwise.

I hope you've enjoyed it and see you shortly for the next one!


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